Dead End
by Sugar'n'Spice'n'Luv
Summary: An unknown virus has been spread throughout ninety percent of earth's population over a short period of two weeks, forcing what's rest of the world's inhabitants to venture into a new and terrifying territory reeking with disease. What will become of them? What will they do? And most importantly of all, how will they survive?
1. Prologue

**Hey there! Irt's SSL here. I decided to start an AU story so here it is! I hope you enjoy and I would really appreciate if you could point out any grammar mistakes for me (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)**_  
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**So now I leave you alone with this! Enjoy!**

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_October 3_

_1345 Hours_

The cool temperatures of autumn dropped considerably that day. This however, didn't stop people from leaving their houses for either business or pleasure. The mall was packed with hundreds of souls walking from shop to shop, browsing through the items. Faces came and faces went just as soon as they appeared. Half of the people had received their paycheck in the prior days and were looking for something in which they could spend it to gain a little self indulgence. Nobody noticed anybody else in that hectic day. They were all too submerged in their own commercial pampering to notice a young male in between the age of twenty and thirty teetering about the mall, his eyes frenzied and his jaw open. The young man stumbled close to a woman sitting at a café, sipping her coffee and checking her paperwork. Without any previous warning he toppled over her, biting her nape and growling violently. Security was called, ambulances were on their way. Not long after the attack the woman dropped to the floor and entered a state similar to that of an epileptic attack. People surrounded her and tried to help the poor woman out. A few seconds later, she sat stood up and avoided eye contact. She suddenly jerked her head in the direction of an old lady and ran towards her, foaming by the mouth. She sunk her teeth into her and took a chunk out of her flesh. This action suddenly took a domino effect turn, the infected bit the healthy and the healthy got infected and so on. Panic broke free and dispersed throughout the mall. People rushed to their vehicles and tried to escape only to be stopped by military forces situated in the exits.

"What are you doing?! Let us through!" A man shouted as he approached the exit by foot.. An officer pointed his gun at him.

"Get back! Get back or I'll shoot!" He yelled in response. The man stopped dead in his tracks. The swarm of people behind him did so too. "We were ordered to put this place under quarantine until the CDC arrives. Everybody stay calm." He shouted as he aimed his gun at any civilian who dared to move. And they kept them in, save for a little girl who had managed to escape through one of the air ducts. She had red eyes and a foaming mouth. The girl began to walk towards the main street in which she reached a school.

* * *

_October 4_

_1821 Hours _

A young brunette browsed the TV channels, a bored expression in his features. He was lying down on the living room couch where he had just finished his homework. He stumbled upon a news channel and something caught his eye.

"They quarantined a _mall_?" He murmured to himself. His brother then entered the room and kicked the brunette off the couch. He then proceeded to establish himself comfortably with a bowl of popcorn on his belly.

"Asshole." His little brother snapped as he settled for sitting on the carpeted floor. His brother chuckled as he ate his popcorn.

He then offered some to his sibling as an apology. "What's up with that?" He inquired as he read the news. His little brother shrugged and gladly accepted his offer.

"I don't know. Something about a new virus breakout on Sacramento or some shit. I didn't finish listening because a certain asshat threw me off the couch." He sneered. His older brother chuckled and mussed his head as he switched channels. The brunette remained quiet as he fiddled with his thumbs, a sudden foreboding feeling sprouting in his gut. "You don't think it'll reach us right? The virus?" He asked his brother, earning a grimace from him.

He then chuckled. "Boy, Raynold. You gotta lay off the zombie apocalypse movies; obviously not." His brother said, making said Raynold roll his eyes and stand up. He then made his way to the kitchen where he found Rose, their housekeeper. The blonde turned around and smiled lovingly at him. she placed a grill cheesed sandwich on the kitchen counter and beckoned him over.

"Eat. You are getting scrawny." She ordered him as he sat down. The brunette rolled his eyes at her and laughed.

"Okay, _mom_." He teased. The blue eyed woman chuckled and exited the room, leaving Raynold all alone with his thoughts. The feeling from before appeared again and he shivered. He then cleared his mind off the topic and ate. But still somewhere deep in his mind, the feeling never really went away.

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**So what did you think? This was only the prologue so bear with me please! Well hehe... SSL Out!**


	2. It's Always Calm Before the Storm

**Heey! Official chapter one here! I hope you like it!**

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_October 5_

_0630 Hours_

"Oi!"

The voice of a small girl resonated throughout the silent house. Said girl was making her way to the door next to hers, banging her smalls fists on the wood once she reached her destination.

A few seconds after waiting for a response and receiving none, she opened the door to her brother's larger room. "Link! Link, get up!" She slowly crept her way over to her brother. He was laying in a small cluster of sheets and pillows, his blonde mane being the only part of his body out. Aryll tugged at a sole strand, earning a yelp from the sleeping boy.

"Ugh, Aryll!" Link yelled as he threw the covers off of him. He glared at his sister before turning his gaze at the clock hanging above his door frame. He let out a defeated sigh, kicking his sister out his bedroom on his way to the bathroom. After taking a short shower, he ran out and tugged on a fresh red flannel shirt and a pair of black jeans, black cargo boots complimenting the outfit. Link ran a comb through the messy mop of blonde hair before running out his room. As he made his way downstairs, the smell of bacon and toasts invaded his nose.

A brunette turned her head around at the sound of a chair being dragged. "Good morning, honey. Would you like some eggs with your bacon?" She asked her son as she placed his breakfast in front of him. "Pretty please!" He said. He caught the sight of his father entering the kitchen. He gave his son a once over before greeting him."Morning champ!" His father said, his sunny disposition invading the room, sickening Link a tad. The man wasted no time in grabbing his wife and kissing her good morning longer than he needed.

"Ew! Daddy no!" A squeaky voice said behind the scene. They turned around to see Aryll covering her eyes and sticking her tongue out at her parents. Link then mimicked her sister antics mockingly, earning a laugh from their parents.

"Hurry up! The bus comes in ten minutes!" Their mother said with a light smile in her thin lips. At this, Link shoveled the rest of his breakfast, downing the last bite with the remaining of his juice. He then made a bee line for his room, where he simultaneously packed his scattered books and brushed his teeth. Soon after readying everything, he put his earphones on and started his iPod; an Aerosmith song played loudly. He slung his blue bag over his shoulder and turned to look at his room. The walls were a dark, moss like green. There was a single fan-shaped step in the corner of the room in which his queen sized and unmade bed was above every other furniture. His eyes traveled to his desk, which lay beside his bed. It was covered with graded papers and messy notes. His clothes were strewn unevenly about the floor of the room. His nightstand was covered in bottles and cans of drinks he'd had. There was even a shirt hanging off the plasma on the wall. Link cringed.

"I need to take care of this…" He said before slamming the door shut and rushing to the bus stop at the end of the street. There were a bunch of kids already there, either gossiping about a party or a new show they had been watching. Link rolled his eyes and leaned against the fence of the house in that corner.

"What's up?" He heard someone say, well, shout. Link pulled out an earphone and turned his eyes the source of the voice. He instantly spotted his blonde and much more timid friend.

"Morning, cowlick princess." He quipped, making his friend scowl. He chuckled before nudging the blonde beside him. "You know I say it with love!" He teased.

"You know I say it with love." Lucas mocked, rolling his dark brown eyes. After that they both chuckled lightly, taking in the chilly autumn breeze. Their gazes shifted from house to house, not entirely focusing on one. They all were two-storied and had dull colored walls, except for the warm yellow one in the opposite end of the street, which happened to be Link's house. It made the place livelier in the bleak weather. Lucas tugged at his cardigan, trying to cover up more of his cold neck. He let out a sigh before snatching the iPod from Link.

He tittered before turning to his friend. "Seriously? This band is like a thousand years old." Link wasted no time in socking the device off the hands of his friend.

"So? I like it so shut up." He mumbled bitterly, his words drowned out by the sound of the screeching brakes of the bus. The students were quick to board it, nearly stomping over each in their search for comfortable seats. The two blondes walked to their usual spot and sat, not directing any words at each other. The bus started when the last student sat down, chirring as it was revved up.

"_Pink is the color of passion…_" Link sang quietly as he gazed at the golden and brown leaves fall.

* * *

_October 5_

_1235 Hours_

Three boys sat together in the center table of the school cafeteria. One sported a black leather jacket that matched his hair and V-neck white shirt, with his dark jeans. Another had white, long sleeved shirt and jeans; perfectly tousled brown hair and dark eyes. The third one had a dark grey vest and a lighter colored shirt with a pair of black pants.

"Dude, I want it to be winter break already. I can't stand this shit hole anymore." A brunette spoke as he chewed on his turkey sandwich. His friends chuckled at this, a few nods thrown at him.

"God yes! Snow and Christmas is what I need now!" A boy whose eyes resembled amber said as he stretched.

"Enjoy the present guys." Ness chuckled as he shook his head at his friends, Preston and Raynold. The two brunettes sighed and looked at each other. They remained silent for a few minutes, swallowing their food and stealing glances at each other.

Preston was the first one to break the silence. "Did you guys hear about the new virus they have discovered?" Ness looked at him, a disinterested look on his face.

"No. What about it?" He asked dully, just for the sake of having a topic to discuss. The brunette shrugged before biting down on his sandwich.

"I heard it turns people violent…" Raynold said, his friends' gazes on him now. "Wow." Ness said flatly before returning to his pizza. Raynold shook the crumbs off his vest, then proceeded to roll his shirt's sleeves up to his elbows.

"Pizza, video games, and my brother's Smirnoff today at my house to compensate for this boring ass day. My parents are out tonight and so is he. Sound good?" He said happily as he smiled at his friends. Ness and Preston eyed each before nodding. Soon, a few more kids joined them in the popular table. Chatter broke the previously gloomy atmosphere. The trio finished up their lunch and headed together to their next class.

* * *

_October 5_

_1445 Hours_

Link and Lucas nonchalantly strode out the school doors, too absorbed into their conversation to notice the approaching danger. The two blondes were rammed by three unknown bodies, successfully forcing the pair to their knees.

"Shit. Sorry, didn't se- Ha…" A voice said behind them. They turned around to see Ness, Preston, and Raynold laughing at them. They walked past them without even offering a helping hand or anything along those lines.

"Assholes… like always." Link murmured as he helped his friend up. Lucas turned around just in time to see Raynold's chauffeur open the black car for the trio. The blonde couldn't suppress the annoyed groan that escaped his throat. "What's up with them? Can't they open the door themselves?" Link commented, an exasperated tone in his voice.

"Well, they are the most popular and rich kids around this school." Lucas stated matter-of-factly. Link rolled his eyes as he pulled his friend towards the bus that had parked in front of them. They managed to scurry through the crowd in front of them, earning a few mean retorts and barks. Once in their sits Lucas spoke.

"I've heard they drink and smoke with the high schoolers…" Link turned his black orbs to his friend. After seeing his confused expression, Lucas explained himself. "Ness and his friends, they-"

"Fuck them." Link said bitterly as he returned his gaze to the moving scenery behind the window. As if on cue Lucas gasped, remembering a certain detail about them that clearly had upset his friend.

He cowered slightly as Link glared in his direction. "Oh… I had forgotten." He murmured, not daring to meet the other blonde's eyes.

"Yeah, I'm glad you remember now. It's not like it appeared in the school news or anything." Link said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Seriously, I hadn't done anything to him at all." He added, his voice barely a whisper now. Lucas slumped into his seat, eyeing Link with his peripheral vision. He had a scowl on his face now. He sighed and mentally slapped himself for bringing them up.

"We still hanging out right?" He asked once they arrived the bus stop. Link shoved his hands inside his pockets, not turning around. He then looked over his shoulder, and beckoned Lucas with a nod of the head. He started walking, not bothering to turn around to check if his friend had followed because he knew he was right behind, like always.

* * *

_October 5_

_2005 Hours_

"Did you see his face?" A certain loud brunette slurred. Ness turned to Preston only to see him surrounded by three empty bottles, half of the fourth already gone. He rolled his eyes as he waited to be respawned.

He did, only to be placed right in front of the guy that had previously shot him. He cursed for the millionth when he was killed, turning the off console after that. "Ugh, yeah. So?" He turned to his inebriated friend. Preston chugged down the rest of the bottle before chuckling. "He looked ready to pound you… wait…. no, that sounds wrong." He said, his voice lowering in volume as he continued to speak.

"I guess he hasn't forgotten. Stupid kid, should already get over himself. I bet you don't even remember his name, am I right?" Raynold said, a bit more coherent since he had drank only one bottle. Ness looked at his unfinished one. He placed it aside and turned to the latter.

He smirked. "Link." He said as he laughed at the memory of their little encounter last year. "Who the hell did he think he was, telling me to be more respectful to the janitor? Shouldn't have acted so surprised when I retaliated…" He spoke, malice in each word he said. He yelped at the thunderous laugh that erupted behind him. The two turned to see Preston laying on his back as he held his stomach.

"H-His face when he saw t-the posters!" He managed between laughs. Raynold grinned as he fetched his phone and started recording the other brunette. "Who would've thought a few photoshopped pictures of him would've been enough to break him down. The dress fit him quite well though…" Ness said, now taking a swig off his bottle. He scrambled towards the bed of the bedroom, immediately throwing himself on the bed. Soon a warm buzz enveloped his body as he drank the last bit of his drink, carefully placing the bottle on the floor. He was soon joined by the other two brunettes. His eyes slowly began to drift closed, he made no move to stop himself from dozing off.

* * *

_October 5_

_2315 Hours_

Lucas had left the house an hour ago now. Link slowly trudged his way up to his room, his shoulders sagging from the exhaustion. They had done their homework and then played a few video games. At last, they watched a horror movie in which aliens invaded New York and fucked it up. Shocker, right? The blonde pulled his shirt and pants off, throwing them at the growing sea of scattered clothes on his floor. He plopped down into the bed and curled up into a ball, sleep getting the best of him. After a minute or two, he had completely left this world, and was making his way over to dreamland. And he would've made it, if it were not for the sharp noise that jabbed at his eardrums. He jumped up from his cocoon and patted the bed frantically in search for his ringing phone. Once he found it he looked at the caller ID and groaned.

He wasted no time in spewing the first curse words that flew to his mind at the moment. "What the fuck do you want? You just woke me up you stupid dipshit." The line was silent for a few moments before he heard a defeated sigh. "Jeez, calm down." Lucas spoke calmly on the other end, irritating an already angry Link more.

"Spit it, or I'll hang up." Link snapped. Lucas cleared his throat and took in a sharp breath. "I just watched the news and there is this new virus that reached us. A few patients escaped the hospital near here and are lose. Authorities stated to lock every door and window and to communicate with them if you happen to see any odd persons out. They are extremely violent and are not to be approached. I just called to make sure you do just that." Silence overtook the call for a few seconds.

"Link?"

"Did you seriously just woke me up to tell me to lock my doors?" Link asked, an evident anger in his words.

"And windows…" Lucas added hesitantly. At the sharp intake of air he heard he immediately added. "Do it, okay? I called because I care, and I want you to be safe, not because I wanted to screw with your precious sleep." Link sighed after hearing this.

"Fine." He whispered as he stood, to do what his friend told him to. "You owe me a cookie for this." He added, earning a chuckle from his friend.

"Hey, I love you! No homo." Lucas added, laughing as he said it. Link rolled his eyes as he stepped onto the first floor.

"Yeah, yeah. Love you too, no homo. Remind why did we even agree to say this?" He said as he checked the house's main entrance.

"To be honest, I don't remember, but it stuck." Lucas said, tiredness obvious in his voice. Link pulled on the lower level windows to check they were locked.

"Get some sleep, bye." He said before hanging up, not waiting for his friend to return the customary farewell. After checking that last door, he made his way up again. Once inside his room, he decided to lock the door. Just to be safe. He was now currently laying in his bed, sleep slowly invading him. And at last he slept peacefully… for now.

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**Well, there you go. I just wanted to clear a few things up. **

**1\. Preston-Popo  
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**2\. Raynold-Red**

**Hehe, you probably guessed that but i jsut wanted to make sure. Oh and Link's parents won't have a name. See ya!**


	3. Sacrifice

**Hello there! SSL here. I just wanted to let you know the interim between new chapters is going to suffer a mayor growth since I started school already (ಥ_ಥ)**_  
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**Anyway, here I bring to you the next chapter in the lame story of Dead End!**

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_October 6_

_0000 Hours_

_Crash._

Ness jolted up immediately at the sound of breaking glass. His eyes scanned the room, barely making out the silhouette of the objects in Red's room. Did he imagine that sound? He couldn't have now could he? He stood up and stretched his stiff body, joints popping all over. He turned his head toward the bed. Preston and Raynold were now spooning each other… shirtless.

"Oh god, please… No." In previous occasions, when these two idiots got shit faced, they'd kiss the nearest living thing and go as far as to… please it. The raven haired boy reached for the covers and yanked it off their bodies, relieved at the sight of pants on both. He sighed, shaking his head as he sat back down. _I seriously need to stop drinking before sleeping… _Ness slowly began to lower his body unto the bed, throwing the duvet over his shoulders as he did so, only to freeze at the sound of a scream. His blood suddenly cooled, shivers running down his spine. The boy got up and slowly tiptoed his way to the door. He opened and pushed it softly, praying that it had been previously oiled. Once outside the room, he let the door slightly ajar. Ness swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and forced his feet to move through the dark hallway. He patted the wall as he made his way to the stairs. He tentatively walked onto the first step, an ominous gurgle making him stop dead in his tracks. Once the noise was gone, he proceeded to walk down to the first floor. The cold bit his feet once he made his way through the dark house. He walked straight towards the living room of the house, since it seemed to be the only place with light. The gurgle started once again, only this time, a new series of noises could be heard. Tearing, popping, and chewing. Ness instantly sidestepped into a place where he couldn't be easily spotted. He leaned again the wall sidling his way towards the room. Once in the edge of the wall he mustered up all the courage he had and poked his head into the place. At the sight he felt his face blanch, and his knees buckle. _Mr. Furball…_ The cat going by that name was now in the hands of a strange male, who was taking bites off the animal, blood pooling at his knees. Ness's eyes wandered to the right corner, opposite to where the man was. Rose, Red's maid, was cowering behind the furniture. She looked at the boy and instantly shooed him away with her hands, worry clear in her every feature. The raven haired boy obliged, slowly tip toeing back towards the staircase.

"I can't leave her behind…" He turned around to see her, tears running down her cheeks. His chest clenched, making it impossible for air to enter his lungs. His eyes scanned the place, desperately looking for something that could serve as a distraction. After a few seconds of searching frantically, he caught sight of a vase standing proudly near the entrance. He ran to it, as silently as he could. Once with the object in his hands, he gazed inside the living room. The man was still chewing at what remained of Mr. Furball. He walked closer to the living room and made eye contact with Rose. She looked noticeably worried, shooing him off again. Ness shook his head and pointed at the vase in his hands. He then pointed towards the hallway leading to the kitchen, and back at the vase. He then pointed towards her, consecutively signaling towards the stairs. He didn't wait for her response and stepped back, taking in a sharp breath as he raised the vase in one hand. _I hope all these years in the baseball team were useful…_ And with all the strength he had he threw the thousand dollar vase, which landed near the kitchen door. The man let out a blood curdling scream and ran out the room stopping a few feet in front of Ness. The man started sniffing the air slightly turning towards the boy. _I'm going to die._ With a sharp turn, the man ran off towards the kitchen. Ness let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. wasting no time he turned towards the woman cowering in the corner and beckoned her, an urgent plea in his eyes as he did so. That was all it took for Rose to run his way. Once they were both together, they dashed towards the staircase. Ness let Rose in first before closing the door gingerly and locking it. Raynold and Preston were awake now, shirts on already.

"What the fuck was that scream?" Preston asked, his left foot halfway inside his Converse. Ness turned to Rose, waiting for her explanation. The woman shuffled over to the nearest seat.

"I was making my way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water when I heard someone break the window. I walked towards the place where the window had been broken and turned the lights on only to see that man, blood covering every inch of his face. He then started running towards me, that's when I screamed. Unluckily, Mr. Furball jumped in between us and the man grabbed him. He walked away from me with the cat in his hands. He then sunk his teeth into its neck and proceeded to eat it right there. Then that's when you came, Mr. Maastraeger. You threw that vase towards the kitchen, risking your safety for me. Thank you very much; I owe my life to you." She whispered, a few tears falling down her face. The room fell silent for what seemed like hours. They kept staring at each other, unsure of what to say next.

Preston shuffled closer to Raynold and looked at him. "What now?" He inquired. Ness looked up at them, a million thoughts going through his mind.

"Let's call 911. Tell them we have a psychopath inside the house or something." He said after a few seconds. Preston was the first to snatch his phone and dial the number. He tapped the speaker button and they waited. "_911, what is your emergency?" _A female voice said. A wave of relief washed over them.

Ness grabbed the phone and brought it close to his mouth. "A man broke into our house. He shows no signs of sanity and is extremely violent. We're locked in the second floor. Our address is 31 West Si-" A scream coming out the phone interrupted him."_Help! Don't come near me! Security! Help! Some-" _Her pleas were overshadowed by an inhumane scream. After that, the line went dead. Ness looked up to meet the terrified faces of his friends. Without actually thinking he ran to the door and pushed the nearest drawer towards it. Preston and Raynold ran to his aid once they saw him struggling. Once the door was barricaded, they went back to the bed. Raynold ran a hand through his hair, his eyes darting around the room. Rose silently walked over to the TV remote control. She grabbed it and pushed the power button, the screen lighting up instantly. She looked through the channels until she found the news. The flashing red banner at the bottom of the screen had a word down on it.

_Epidemic._

The set had blood splattered on the walls and the body of one of the anchors lay lifeless on the counter. Ness wiped his faces, oblivious to the tears that were now running down his cheeks. He let out a shaky breath before surveying the faces in the room. They all had their mouths lightly agape and eyes frozen with fear.

"Are you telling me… a virus is responsible for all this?" Raynold managed out, his voice uncertain and airy. Preston's gaze landed on the window, which was covered with thick curtains, blocking out any light. His feet move against his will and without even acknowledging his actions, his hand pushed the curtains to the side. The loud thump of his body dropping caught the attention of the rest of the persons in the room. They approached the window cautiously looking at the shaking boy who was kneeling, praying to a nameless god. Raynold and Ness eyed each other before peeling the piece of fabric away from the windows. A collective gasp killed whatever silence that had gathered in the room. The atmosphere of the room was suddenly charged with a mix of fear and confusion. The lamp in the nightstand was immediately turned off by Rose.

"Those things… He… They're everywhere!" Preston choked, his voice wan. The streets were plagued by countless bloodied bodies of the now infected. They threw furtive glances at in every direction, as if they were looking for something. Ness recoiled away from the window. He looked around until he spotted his bag. The boy walked up to it before pouring its contents out on the floor. After meeting the confused looks of their friends, he drew out a long, dreaded sigh.

"We need to get out, and we need to do it now." He declared, now entering Raynold's walk in closet. "But Ness! We can't just go out!" Raynold called after him, following him into the closet.

Ness uttered a glared at his friend. "What else do you expect me to do? Wait here like sitting ducks for those fuckers to break in? Fuck that, I'm leaving with or without you." Raynold stepped back, stunned by his friend's retort. Nevertheless, he continued asserting his case. "I think we should wait for the police to take care of this! We can't just go out and put ourselves out in th-"

"Shut up, okay? You heard what happened to that woman on the phone. Those were the 911 quarters for fuck's sake! Every single distress call is sent there! If they aren't protecting the eyes of the country why would they be focusing on this deadbeat town? Now, we have two options: Option number one, wait here and die either of starvation or being mauled by those _things_. Option number two, we get the hell out this place, save our asses, and reach a safe haven. Which will you choose? The latter sounds pretty appealing to me." The raven haired boy then returned to stuffing his bag with thick sweaters, pants, and another pair of boots. Raynold gazed back to Preston, who had a doubtful look in his features. He muttered a curse before walking up to his bags, emulating Ness's previous actions.

"Empty your back and snatch a few extra changes of clothes. There are a few duffel bags under my bed. Get them out and bring them to my closet." Raynold commanded the other brunette, trotting his way back to the closet. Preston sniffed in a tear before doing what he was told so. Once inside he started stuffing the bags with clothes.

He looked vacillatingly at the boxers that lay inside a drawer before turning to Raynold. The hazel eyed boy turned to meet his dark eyes and sighed. "Second drawer. I have a few unopened packages from my birthday and holidays. Use them." Preston nodded, a thankful gleam in his eyes. He grabbed a package for himself before flinging one at Ness, who even though wasn't looking managed to catch the object with ease. Red grabbed a few of his smaller jeans and blazers and stuffed them into the remaining duffel bag. He then looked at Rose and handed the small framed woman the bag. She blushed, gratefully bowing as she took the bag and its contents in her hands. Once Ness checked each bag, he slung his backpack over one shoulder and placed his duffel bag on the other. So much for the plan because now that they were set, realization crossed his mind. How on Earth are they going to move in the streets with those things lurking freely? He blanched, his head slowly turning towards the group behind him.

"Red…" Ness used the boy's moniker, trying to soothe in the blow he was about to deliver. The brunette looked at him expectantly, waiting for what he was going to say next. "Um… We can't exactly leave now without any means of transport… we are stranded." He murmured. Red remained silent for a few seconds before smiling.

"No, we're not." He met Ness's confused gaze before shifting his weight on his feet. "The SUV my family uses for trips is still parked in the garage, full tank…" He silently divulged, earning a relieved grin from his friend. "The only problem is… the keys are in the kitchen." Red watched as he friend visibly flinched, as if the news physically pained him. they all looked thoughtful for a moment.

"We need another distraction to drag him away from the kitchen… perhaps making another noise to call its attention…" Preston said solemnly, waiting for the group's response. They all nodded in unison before turning towards the door. They pulled the drawer back as silently as they could. Rose opened the door and tiptoed out, waiting for the last of the kids to walk out before shutting the door. She made her way towards the end of the hall and took another vase in her hands. She walked back to the trio and handed it to Ness, who cradled it as a newborn. She was the first one to reach the first floor. The living room was the first thing to enter her visual field. Her head jerked right towards the hallway that lead to the kitchen. She raised her hand at the kids behind her and inspected the area. The man stood immobile, facing the door. He seemed oblivious to their presence. Rose let out a quiet sigh and beckoned Ness. The boy obliged, slipping his bags unto the floor before climbing down. He slowly tiptoed towards the first floor. His eyes wandered towards the man. He still remained immobile. Ness focused his gaze back to the living room. He aimed for the far left corner. _1… 2… 3… _He threw his arm back, and used the whiplash from bringing it forward again to throw the vase. He backtracked into the wall beside Rose, freezing in place when the man turned around. He immediately ran towards the living room. Once he was inside, Ness and Rose ran towards the kitchen. Red and Preston wasted no time in picking their friend's bags and dashing downstairs. Preston grabbed unto the railing and used it to veer rapidly towards the kitchen. Red had the same intention. He threw his arm towards the railing, his hand a few inches from grasping its target… Only to have him miscalculate the distance between steps and falling down headfirst onto the floor. His vision was flooded with white spots for a few seconds. The boy shook his head slightly, trying to regain his full consciousness. His ears caught the sound of a guttural growl. His eyes turned towards the source of said noise. That was all it took for Red's vision to return. The man was now looking at him through bloodshot eyes and bared teeth. Only then was the boy able to take in how the man really looked. He had exposed muscles, as if it had been bitten by an animal. His skin had a sickly gray tint to it and foam dripped down his chin. The brunette was frozen in spot, unable to move a single muscle. And he stayed liked that once the man started running in his direction. _I'm going to die…_ The man was struck by a flaxen figure, which he quickly slammed into entrance. Red looked up to meet a pair of blue eyes staring at him, blonde stray hairs covering part of the orbs. Rose threw her bag at him and stood up. The man growled at her, but her stance did not waver.

"RUN!" She shouted. Red remained kneeling where he was, watching the scene unraveling in front of him. Everything slowed down significantly before his eyes. He saw how the man charged at Rose and how she dodged him, landing on her hip as she did so. She looked up to him asking him with her eyes to move. Her lips moved but he heard nothing as he saw the man- no, the monster, turn to look at her defenseless body. He saw how it moved towards her at an agonizingly slow pace. That was until a hard tug on his shoulder pulled him to his feet. His body was turned around and forced to run towards the kitchen. He saw both Ness and Preston running while pulling him along. They neared the kitchen doors slowly in his eyes. He turned his head to see the monsters drop down on top of Rose.

"_Come on, Red! Come out your hiding spot!" A soothing voice called out to him. The toddler giggled, giving out his location to the young female. She looked at a quivering lump under the bed covers, the sight warming her heart and earning a laugh from her. "Oh! I wonder where my young little Raynold has gone off to!" Another giggle came out the lump, and she fought the one arising in her chest. "My, my… seems like I've lost again." Yet another endearing giggle rose up from the hidden baby. She tip toed her way towards the lump, quickly pulling the cover off the five-year old. Red pouted in her direction before swinging his arms around her neck, clinging to Rose as if his life depended on it. He placed a small peck on the woman's cheek. "I love you mommy!" The toddler exclaimed, catching the strawberry blonde off guard. She looked at the hazel orbs of the boy and smiled. "I'm not your mommy, Raynold." She said, making, the brunette bury his face into the crook of her neck. "But you act as my mommy more than my real mommy. Mommies are supposed to play with their kids like you play with me! That means that you are my mommy!" He retorted, an angry tone in his voice. At this, Rose held him tight and held him as if her life depended on it._

Red turned around to see Rose hitting the monster on top of her with her fists. He slowly started to regain his senses. He met her blue orbs, only to be thrown down memory lane again.

"_But mother-" A brunette cried, outraged by his progenitor's actions. He couldn't call her mother. Mothers were supposed to take care of their young. Mothers were supposed to understand their plights. Mothers were supposed to __**care**__. "Those kids were hurting the poor dog that hadn't done anything to them! I told them to back off and they got violent. What was I supposed to do? Stand there and let them beat me up?" His words apparently reached deaf ears, because his mother was taking his new kitten away from him. "I raised a boy, not a savage." And with those last words the woman draped in expensive clothing walked out the door. Red couldn't fight back the tears welling up in his eyes as he ran outside, into the backyard. He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings either since he ended up slamming against somebody. This person let out a soft groan before settling two warm hands on his shoulders. Red opened his eyes to meet two blue orbs, staring down at him with concern. Once she saw the tears weren't decreasing anytime soon, she pulled him into a hug. "I wish you were my mother instead of her." He cried into her neck. The blonde's hold around him loosened as she pulled away slightly to look at him. "Don't say that, okay? Your mother is a wonderful woman and you're lucky to have her." She scolded, no real bite in any word she said. "And don't worry. If you ever feel alone or are in need of somebody, you know you can come to me. Forever and ever, remember?" Red chuckled at her words, the silly promise they had made years ago flooding his mind. He pulled her closer and sighed. "Forever and ever." He felt Rose grab his hand and pull him towards the kitchen. "Let's tend those bruises of yours, shall we?" She said before pushing the kitchen's doors open, looking down at him with the smile every mother has when they speak to their children._

His reverie was broken when he heard a scream behind him. He turned his head to see Rose struggling to push the monster off her. "Rose…" He said, his voice hushed. She looked up to meet his hazel orbs with surprisingly calm blue orbs once their gaze met. She then mouthed something. Red mimicked her lips' movement. "_Forever and ever, remember?_" His breath hitched in his throat as he pulled in the opposite way that his friends hauled him along. "Rose." He said more steadily this time. The girl smiled at him. His chest ached. He had to stop this. He had to stop it now. Red ran against his friends' pull on him. "What are you doing?!" Ness cried out to him as he tried to tug the boy. "Rose!" He shouted now. Her smile lessened as a single tear ran down her cheek. She mouthed to him again. _I love you. _Red barely had time to process when he was slung over somebody's shoulder; his eyes were fixated on the scene in front of him. Time slowed down again. "Don't look!" Somebody in front of him yelled. He ignored this as he threw a single arm forward, as if it could reach the woman and pull her towards him. "ROSE!" He shouted with all his might. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He saw how the monster held her arms in a steel grasp, immobilizing her completely. He saw it lower its mouth to her neck. He saw her smile at him one last time. He saw how it sunk its teeth into her soft skin. He saw how her life slowly poured out her body. He saw it all, and now he wished he had had turned away.

They were now sitting in the SUV, pulling out the garage. The how and when he got here were a blur. All that kept playing in his mind was the last scene he had watched. He ignored his friends concerned inquires. All he wanted to do now was curl up and shut the world out. And he did, much to his friends worry.

"Leave him. He is not going to talk right now." Ness said in a defeated tone. Preston leaned comfortably into the passenger's seat, sparing a glance at Red. He scowled a little before turning to look at Ness.

He turned the heat on and settled back into his seat. "I didn't know you could drive…" Ness looked at him with his peripheral vision. "My dad insisted in early lessons every Saturday. I guess you could say it paid off." Preston hugged himself, the heat still not working in the car. "Why didn't you tell us?" He shyly asked. "What? Am I supposed to confide to you every little occurrence in my life now?" The boy snapped at his friend, causing him to flinch. "No but-" he started, only to be cut off. "Shut up, I'm not in the mood for talking." And that was all it took for the ride to grow eerily silent for the next ten minutes.

* * *

_October 6_

_0036 Hours_

The raven haired boy continued to steer through the now more disperse sea of bodies, his grip on the steering wheel never lessening. Preston watched his two friends attentively. Red had fallen asleep ten minutes ago. A light smile tugged at his lips when he saw him, the pain from twenty minutes ago gone. His eyes then wondered to Ness. His shoulders were tense and his knuckles appeared seemingly white in the dull light of the street lamps. Preston sighed and pulled his legs to his chest, hugging them as he did so. He suddenly felt a wave of sleepiness wash over him. He leaned his head against the window and smiled contemptibly. A few minutes passed in silence, where he slowly began to doze off.

"HOLY-" Was all the brunette managed to hear before the brakes were slammed causing him to collide headfirst into the dashboard.

* * *

**Well there you go. I will try to have the next chapter next weekend! Maybe I will accomplish this but only because teacher's don't really give us homework until the third week at my school. Yay... Anyway, I hope you liked it. SSL out!**


	4. No Weak Souls Allowed

_October 6, 2015_

_0010 Hours_

His eyes flickered around the room. He had been up for about five minutes ago, a nightmare being the cause of his rude awakening. Blurry images of what it had been flashed through his mind leaving an unsettling feeling deep in his gut. Finally settling his attention on the pale moon outside, the blonde hummed uninterestedly. Link quietly sang the lyrics to a nameless song his mother used to sing to him when he was little.

"_Long have said the bells with a soothing voice…_" His eyelids drooped slightly at the words, having the same effect on him now as when he was little. "_The hour for playing con no longer go on…_" He yawned, stretching his sore body. He shifted his position to laying down on his belly, head under the pillow. "_Over the mountains and hills, the Sun has now dove down…_" His eyes fluttered closed as he his breath deep now. "_Birds are biding goodbye to it… with a… song…_" He nuzzled the pillow closer to him and breathed out a soft purr.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

His eyes flew open, groaning as he turned his head towards the door. He waited for the person outside to state out the reason they had dared to interrupt his sleep. "Link?" A young voice called out to him. The blonde rolled his eyes and stood up to open the door to let his little sister in.

He lowered to her level and forced a smile. "What's wrong?" The little girl held her stuffed seagull close to her chest as she looked back into the dark corridor. "I hear strange noises from outside." She whispered over to her brother, eyebrows knitted in concern. Link sighed as he grabbed her hand and walked her over to her bedroom. The girl immediately hid behind him, cold hands against his bare back. He swatted her sister's cool limbs away as he entered the room. He then looked back at her.

"See, there are no-" _Thunk_. He turned his head to the window. _Thunk_. He made his way over and pushed them open. Directly down, in the first level, was a shadow banging a dull object against the pillar of the veranda. Link quietly shut the windows again and retreated back to the hallway, grabbing his sister's hand on the way out. He led to his room. Once inside he reached into the closet for his baseball bat. He had bought it, thinking he'd made the team. In the auditions, he hadn't done bad… but of course, the captain had the say, even over the coach. Ness rejected him as soon as they finished. _I guess I found a use for this thing…_ he slipped on a pair of denim jeans and a long sleeved shirt. After tying his sneakers he glanced over to his sister.

"Lock the door and don't open it unless it's me or our parents, understood?" He commanded before walking out the door. He heard it being shut and waited for his sister to lock it. _Click_. Link made his way down the staircase. Once on the first floor he walked over the sliding doors of the living room. He stepped outside and tiptoed closer to the walls of the house. A dubious feeling enveloped him as he walked out the door. Everything seemed oddly quiet that night. Too quiet for his liking. The lights of the neighboring houses were out, leaving it to the moon to eerily illuminate his path. He placed a chary steps on the wooden floor and held the bat up ready for any incoming danger. Once his eyes located the shadow and he ducked behind a rattan sofa. A cool breeze blew through his locks making them wave in front of his eyes. He jumped up and held his bat tighter, waiting for the shadow to jump at him. It remained stationary swaying around as if searching for something. A shaky hand reached down into the boy's pockets to pull out his phone. His fingers activated the flashlight and he directed it at the shadow. A deer looked up from the trash can it had tipped over to look at Link with wide eyes. It remained frozen staring into the light. Link took a step forward. _Thunk_. The deer's crests bumped against the veranda's pillar as it took a step back. The blonde rolled his eyes.

"You there. Shoo!" He said as he dismissively waved the animal off. When all it did was turn its head sideways and gave him the most intense look a deer could give, Link jumped in its direction, successfully scaring it off. The blonde rubbed his temples as he trudged back into the house, idly shutting the sliding door on his way in. The clouds soon covered the pale moon above, and darkened the night. He took a moment to watch how the silhouettes of the trees in his backyard were claimed by the obscurity. Link laid the bat in one of the living room couches and made his way to the kitchen, where he grabbed a banana and ate it in the countertop. He eyed the clock. The arrows marked fifteen after twelve. _Stupid deer_. The boy jumped off the counter and made his way upstairs. He knocked on his door, waiting for his sister to walk out.

"W-Who is it?" she spoke, her voice quavering. Link rolled his eyes and sighed.

He pounded his head softly against the door. "I'm tired, open up." He groaned. The door flew upon to reveal Aryll with a calm expression on her face. "Get out." The small girl frowned and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What was that noise?" She asked, looking up to meet Link's gaze.

"A deer."

"Oh…" The younger blonde giggled before skipping her way back to her bedroom. "Goodnight, big brother." She said, before shutting the door behind her. Once he left alone the boy, scanned his room noting his previous drowsiness now gone. He let out a growl before closing his door and walking over to his bed. Link pulled his shirt over his head and discarded it somewhere in the floor along with his pants. Despite the cold, he made no move to retrieve another change of warmer clothes to cover him up. He wiggled under his duvet and laid on his back, eyes fixated on the wooden ceiling. The overall darkness and quietness inspired a private atmosphere inside his room. A soft snort escaped him as an idea crossed his mind. "A man's got to do what a man's got to do…" He purred as a cold hand snaked its way under his boxers.

* * *

Link threw his head back as he reached his climax while he bit his lips to avoid any unnecessary noise. He let out a shaky breath as he relaxed into the mattress, humming contemptibly as his daze was replaced with tiredness. He then shifted and groaned at the stickiness in his underwear. He stood up and waddled over to his drawer. He snatched a fresh new pair of boxers and took the opportunity to grab a shirt and some sweatpants. He turned back to the clock and sighed. It read twelve twenty two. The boy started heading back only to be stopped by a set of particular flashing lights. Link walked over to the window, curious as to why the police was here. They parked in the house in front of his neighbor's house. A burly man that appeared to be in his late thirties stepped out of the patrol and walked over to the front door. He seemed to have been startled by something that came out the house. He drew his gun and pointed it at the door. He slowly made his way into the building alongside his much younger partner. For some reason the tension in the boy's room grew to the point it was almost tangible. His heartbeat piqued at the sound of the scream that emanated from the house. The first policeman shot out of the front door and aimed his gun at it. A woman ran towards the man, blood splattered all across her face and clothes. The policeman shot at her twice before she jumped at him. Her jaw opened and she quickly bit the shoulder of the man. Link felt his knees buckle at the display in front of him. The other policeman ran out the house and shot the rabid woman in the back until she stopped chewing on his partner. The former policeman threw the now dead body off him and rose to his feet. His partner helped him reach the hood of the car, where he sat and held his wounded shoulder. The uninjured cop rushed into the patrol, to call for help, Link guessed. He felt a wave of relief wash over him at this. He was about to tear his eyes away when he saw the older policeman fall off the hood and begin to squirm on the concrete. His partner jumped out the patrol and ran to his aid. The policeman suddenly jerked to a stop, after a couple of agonizing minutes, he had counted. The younger one stood a few feet from his body, unsure of what to do. Link's breathing stopped when he saw the injured cop stand up suddenly staggering towards his partner. The blonde noticed how now, the man was foaming from the mouth and how he bared his teeth at the younger man just like the woman had to done to him. He then suddenly threw himself on top of the other man, sinking his teeth into his carotid. Link saw how he greedily began to bite chunks off the dead man. His vision blurred with tears as he teetered towards the waste basket, where he proceeded to vomit the banana. He felt a layer of cold sweat cover his body as he slowly made his way over to his parents' room. He banged mercilessly at the thick door as he let panic overtake. His father opened it only to find him covered in tears and shaking. He brought his son into the room where his mother rushed to them. She stroke his hair, in a feeble attempt to calm him down.

"Link what happened?!" His father urged, holding him a little tighter. The blonde started sobbing into his shoulder as he shook his head.

"R-R-Room… my ro-om…" He cried into his shirt. His father let go off him and ran off into the dark hallway. Link immediately sought for his mother's arms in which he continued his break down. His father returned with his face cradled in his hands. He let out a shaky sigh before turning around and trotting away. He returned with Aryll in his arms.

"Honey, what's wrong?" The man ignored his wife's question and walked over to their bed where she placed the sleeping girl gingerly. His face fell into an expression of deep analyzing before he grabbed the remote control. He then turned the TV on and searched for the news channels. Their eyes settled on the screen and they listened attentively.

"… _Virus breakout has occurred in the western states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Currently…_"

"_Wait, we have received the news from the outside. Yes … according to our friend in the city of Kingsbury the authorities are starting to fence the state lines…_"

"… _The CDC has broadcasted an epidemic alert to the West Coast states. The progression of the infection has seemed to start piquing as of today at eight Pacific Time…"_

"…_The symptoms are red eyes, extreme salivation, erratic movements or spasms, and violent behavior. If you stumble upon a person with the previous symptoms avoid at all costs. The virus is transmitted trough bites…"_

"_We interrupt your programming to bring this public broadcast. The states of Washington, California, and Oregon have been placed under quarantine until further notice. I repeat, the states of_-"

The man shut the TV off. He looked at his family. They all had terrified expressions on their faces.

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and shuddered.

"They… They can't quarantine the entire state, can they?" His wife asked. Link watched how his parents had a wordless conversation with their eyes. Aryll woke up to the gentle but urgent shaking of her mother.

"Okay, hear me out. We are going to go pack the essentials and we are going to flee the state tonight while maybe we still can." Link's father spoke after some pondering. His mother then ushered the two kids out and told them to do what dad told them to. Link ran to his room and snatched his traveling back pack in his closet. He immediately started pulling sweaters and long sleeved shirts along with his favorite pairs of jeans. He threw in a couple of shoes with a handful of socks and underwear. After packing up, Link pulled on a pair of jeans on and a long sleeved green shirt. He slipped on his shoes and walked out the room with his back pack in hand. He made his way to the bathroom where he scanned the area. He reached out for his toothbrush and walked out. He was ready. Aryll came out her room with a rolling back pack behind her. She had a wool jacket on and a pair of shorts with leggings. She walked over to her brother and clung onto his arm. They both watched their parents hurry and enter different rooms, brining bags and other things along. Soon, his parents came out with their own bags and looked at them.

"Okay. Let's get going befo-" _Crash_. Silence overtook them as their heads whipped in the direction of the noise. Link's father tiptoed towards the stairs where he leaned over the railing and looked. Without any word being said, he took a step back and beckoned his family close. His brown eyes locked with his wife's blues before he began making his way down the staircase. His family followed closely. The house was enveloped by complete silence except for the occasional creaking of the wooden floor. Eyes jerked in every direction, making sure nothing was near or around them. The old man whispered for them to stay where they were. After that he crept his way over to the kitchen. They shared a doubtful look in between the three members of the family. A few seconds after, Link heard the wooden floor squeak heralding the return of his father. He smiled wanly at his old man before pulling him into a hug. He pulled away before his dad could return it. His eyes then drifted to the knife his father had in his hands. A creaking of wood called his attention. _It came from around the corner_. They slowly tiptoed towards the source of the noise. Link's father peeked from behind the wall and saw a shadow limp out the room to his left.

"One broke in through the dining room… He is walking straight towards the living room…" The old man whispered. "If we manage to walk inadvertently across it we might manage to make it out alive." He added while grabbing the car keys off the bowl. He slid them into his front pocket and started toeing his way towards the door. The family followed not long after. Once they reached the end of the wall he looked back his wife and kids. "One by one…" He whispered. He then proceeded to pick Aryll up in his arms. Link watched how his father quietly sneaked across the hallway and eyeing the creature in their living room as he did so. Once he reached the main entrance, he beckoned them over. His mother pushed him forward. Link felt his heart beating in his throat as he began to walk forward. Halfway through the room he turned his head towards the man in the living room. All color faded away from his face. A small gasp found its way to his lips. The policeman he had previously seen was staring at him intently, emitting faint growls as he did so. Link took a step back unconsciously. The man growls became more audible at this. He started staggering towards Link, extending his hands as he did so. The blonde felt how a hand pulled and slammed him into the front door. He opened his eyes to see his father now in his place, waving his hands frantically at the policeman. He let out a scream as he charged towards his father. The latter started running towards the kitchen with the sick man trailing behind him. Link rose to his feet and ran after them.

"Wait, Link!" His mother called as she chased his son. He stopped once the kitchen came to view. His father delivered a blow to the policeman's jaw. He tumbled backwards and hit his head against the counter, falling limp on the floor. Link's father wiped his brow and walked away from the body. He smiled at his wife and son before laughing.

"I never liked cops anyway." He quipped. A nervous laughter filled the room. Link looked how his father bent over to pick the knife he had lost in the haze of the chase. This cleared the boy's field of view. He gasped as he saw the policeman was now heading for his father.

He stepped back a few steps. "Dad watch ou-" He was interrupted when the officer sunk his teeth deep in his father's neck. The knife fell down on the floor a few feet away from them. He didn't shout. He didn't cry. He didn't even flinch. All he could feel was numbness taking over his entire body. The room grew quiet as his father fell down to his knees while holding his neck. He spared his son a glance before falling down completely. The boy saw how the pool of blood around him grew by the second. A loud tinnitus invaded his ears, rendering his hearing useless. He felt a sharp jarring pain in his abdomen as he flew back a few feet. He looked up to see the mouth of the policeman opened in a scream, but he couldn't hear it. He stood up only, wincing when the pain in his stomach intensified. The policeman started making his way towards him, blood now dripping down his jaw. Why hadn't he eaten the remains of my dead father? He thought. _Oh that's right… you already ate your partner._ He made no move to escape the lurking danger coming his way. That was until he saw it. A single tear rolled down the policeman's cheek and fell on the floor.

_Drop…_

He heard it crash against the hardwood floor and saw how the droplets of the dispersed tear flew away from the impact zone. He then took in a sharp breath, regaining his senses. The soul crushing pain of seeing his father hit him like a truck. Tears began to flow out his eyes as he tore his gaze away from that scene only to fall on the man wobbling towards him. Link opened his mouth to let out a scream. He halted when he saw his mother lunged herself against the policeman with the knife in her hand. He threw her off him and onto the wall behind him. She rose to her feet using her now quivering legs. When her eyes became visible again they had a murderous glare in them. She stabilized her stance and scowled at the policeman who now was facing her.

"Get away from my children!" She bellowed with rage. The policeman ran in her direction. Once she reached her he pressed her up against the wall. The woman struggled with the gaping jaws of the man in front of her. She suddenly felt him sink hi teeth into her the tender skin of her arms. She let out a groan before stabbing him directly in the neck. The man went limp for a few seconds. He then fell down onto the floor, the warm liquid pouring out the wound she had inflected. She slowly sunk to her knees and cradled her arm. Link rushed to her side and kneeled beside her. He pulled her frame into his lap where she laid down her head. He looked into her eyes and felt his own start to sting. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he cupped her face. He gave her forehead a small kiss. She sobbed quietly as she let go off her arm. She reached over to the body of the policeman and pulled the knife out. The woman cringed as she pulled herself up and kneeled in front of her son. She then placed the blade to her neck and reached for her son's hand. She woefully wrapped it around the handle of the knife. His eyes widened in realization.

He shook his head feverishly, even more tears rolling down his face as he sobbed louder. "Mom I-I can't! p-please, don't make me d-do i-it….!" She smiled sadly as she rubbed a tear off his face with her thumb.

"I love you. It's okay. Take care of your sister, Link." She whispered as she began to shake violently. Link froze as he saw her mother's loving expression switch into one of began counting in his head just as he had with the policeman.

_1.. 2… 3…_

Her shaking became more violent. Her grip around his wrists tightened slightly.

_4… 5… 6…_

Her body temperature began to rise. He could feel it.

_7… 8… 9.._

Her eyes shot open. They no longer were sweet and tender.

_10… 11… 12.._

She bared her teeth slightly and growled, the corners of her mouth filled with saliva. He let out a loud sob as he shook his head. _I love you. It's okay. Take care of your sister, Link…_

_13… 14… 15…_

A loud animal like growl was emitted from her throat. She no longer looked at him as her son. There was no more warmth in her blood red eyes as she inched closer to him. Her touch was no longer soft as she tightened her grasp painfully on his wrists. There was no longer a mother in that body. Link looked at her one last time before closing his eyes. She growled again, only this time she moved forward. He jerked his hand sideways and felt her skin tear under the blade. Her body fell on top of his, her blood oozing into his shirt. Link dropped the knife and opened his eyes. And he cried. He cried louder than he had ever done in his life. He cried as he held her body close to his until her warmth disappeared in that cold autumn night.

* * *

_October 6_

_0034 Hours_

Link was now silent as he held his mother's body. He gently rolled her off of him and placed her on her back. As a last act of love, he closed her eyes. No tears flowed down as he left her lying there. He had cried the last one of them a few minutes ago. He grabbed his back pack and headed for the main entrance. He stopped and looked at his sister. She eyed him with fear. A pang of guilt surged through him as he kneeled down in front of her.

"Aryll, let's g-"

"Stay away from me you monster!" She shouted at him before running towards her mother. Link watched how she nuzzled against her their mom's chest before laying down beside her. He then proceeded to open the door and walk out without turning around. His arms gave up as his things dropped on the sidewalk. The blonde boy madehis way to the center of the street. The cold bit at his wet torso but he didn't care. All he wanted was to go numb again. He felt an unfamiliar light flash behind him. He turned around only to be blinded. He heard the screeching of tires, too.

* * *

**Hello there. Sorry for the late update, I was just being lazy as always! I've decided to obliviate the... the comment at the beginning, yeah. I'll just occasionally add it in order to warn or clear something up. See ya next chapter!**


	5. Two Live, Two Die

_October 6_

_0036 Hours_

"HOLY-" Ness yelped as he stomped the breaks, the tires screeching as they came to a stop. He turned his head right when he heard Preston mutter an elongated curse. He gasped as he saw his friend holding his bleeding nose while glaring at him.

"Ness, what in the actual _fuck_ were you thinking stopping abruptly like that?!" He growled as he pulled out a box of tissues out the car's glove compartment. Ness tore eyes off his friend and looked forward once again. He nudged the brunette and pointed towards the road. Preston's gaze fell on what he was pointing at. His eyes widened considerably. A groan from behind them called their attention. Raynold was now sprawled on the floor, head under the front seats. He slowly pulled himself out and met his friends' gaze. He scowled at Ness before kneeling. His eyes drifted through the bags now on the floor and ended in Preston's nose.

"Is it broken?" He asked as he returned to his seat. Preston gave it a poke. It hurt, but not as much as it would if it were broken. He shook his head at his friend, his eyes slowly drifting back to what caused the car to be stopped. Red followed his eyes, his reaction exactly the same as Preston's. "Holy shit, is that Link?" Ness nodded, answering his friend's question. The blonde covered his face with a sole hand as he staggered backwards.

Preston eyed his two friends before voicing his doubt. "Do you think he is infected?" Both boys turned to him before sharing a worried expression.

"I…" Red started, eyes now on Link. His blonde locks had blood on the tips. Since he kept his gaze on the pavement, they didn't know if he had any visible symptoms. "He _is_ covered in blood…" The brunette added sorrowfully while inspecting the blonde's body. Ness looked at the boy. He was holding one of his arms and kept his gaze low. His brows rose as he looked back and forth in between Link and Preston. A know glare popped into the brunettes face. Before the brunette could object to what he knew his friend was going to do Ness exited the car.

"Get back here!" Preston whispered angrily. Ness waved him off as he started to cautiously approach the blonde. The raven haired boy stopped a few feet in front of the him.

"Link?" He spoke softly, almost soothingly. The blonde turned his head in his direction, eyes still hidden behind his bloodied bangs. Ness swallowed hard as he took a step forward. "Link." He said with a little more confidence this time. The blonde remained immobile except for the seeming chill that trialed his entire body. Ness walked towards him until he was at arm reach of the blonde. He extended a hand towards the bangs covering his face. He saw him jerk, and instinctively Ness jumped back. Once his gaze fell back on Link his fear faded. His eyes were still covered, but now he could see his tear stained face and quivering lips. A familiar ache grew in his chest as he sighed. Red had the same expression when his initial shock faded a few minutes ago. "Link…" He called out, a certain pain laced in his words. Suddenly, the rivalry he had with the boy disappeared and was replaced with a brotherly instinct he didn't knew he possessed. Finally the blonde looked up at him, a few tears slipping down his words came out either boy. Ness walked slowly towards the blonde. Said blonde's face contorted into an expression of pain as he let out a sob and lowered his head into Ness's shoulder. He then proceeded to cry silently. The brunette wrapped an arm around Link's shoulder and allowed him to relieve his aching heart. Preston was now out the car along with Red. They eyed each other before smiling sadly towards Ness. His friend returned the smile, his free hand beckoning them. They walked and stood solemnly by the pair as they waited for Link to calm down. Not a minute later and his sobbing had stopped. He looked up at Ness with a tired face before shoving his arm off his shoulders. The two brunettes' eyed him carefully as the blonde looked around the place, surveying for any incoming peril. He shivered slightly as he slowly hugged himself.

"This is your house, right?" Red asked him as he eyed the front yard, easily spotting his bags. The brunette walked over to them, and swiftly hauled them over his shoulder. Preston helped him load them into the car. Link threw them a bemused looked, sneezing not long after.

"W-What are you doing?" He asked, his teeth starting to chatter. Ness placed a hand on his shoulder pulling him along as he walked over to the house.

"Isn't it obvious? We are taking you with us." He answered as he reached for the front door's knob.

"Wait! Wait…" Link jumped in front of his hand and covered the door with his body. Ness frowned but made no move to get him off the entrance. Instead, he crossed his arms and waited for him to explain himself. The blonde looked up at him and bit his lips, pain flashing in his eyes for a moment before he moved away, allowing Ness to enter the house. It was dark, he noted. So he went on and started patting the wall until he found the light switch. He then flicked it on, only to gasp at the site in front of him. Three bodies and a crying child painted his view. He eyed Link with his peripheral vision for a moment before he walked over to the little blonde girl curled up next the body her now dead mother. He gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder, making the girl yelp. She looked up to him with fear painted across her face. _She has Link's eyes…_ he thought for a moment as he examined her features. _She can't be older than twelve._

"Hi." He tried approaching her. The little girl sniffed before burying herself in his chest. She sobbed quietly and he held her close, looking at the gash in the woman's neck. He held in the bile that had rose in his mouth for the sake of the girl.

"M-My… M-M-My…" She tried speaking in between sobs. Ness wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her up along with him. She wrapped her legs around him and placed her head on the crook of his neck. His heart started to ache painfully as he remembered his own sister. Was she even alive? He didn't dwell in that thought for long as the faces of his friends flooded his mind. He had to be strong for them. At least for now. He clenched and unclenched his jaw a few times before he spoke again.

"My what? You can tell me anything. Don't worry." He whispered as he swung his body side to side trying to appease the crying infant in his arms.

"M-My big b-brother…" She managed this time, tightening her arms around his neck. Ness gently caressed her head a few times, now looking into her big, black eyes.

"Your big brother what?" He whispered as he eyed her expectantly. She sniffed once, then twice as she looked at her mom.

"My big brother did this." She mumbled softly, her gaze still on her mother. Ness froze in place, a sudden wave of panic washing over him. He pulled the girl's head back into his shoulder where she willingly continued to sniffle silently. The raven haired boy remained like this for a second before he looked in the blonde's direction. His head was ducked again, and he refused to look up. The boy carried the little girl out the house, eyeing Link warily as he did so, and made his way into the car. Preston and Red were on the hood, predatory glances thrown about the place. Once their eyes settled on Ness's and saw the distress in them, they jumped down.

"Help me get her cleaned up. Search the house for anything useful. Flashlights, food, clothes… Now." He ordered them as he passed the girl over to a confused Red. He didn't wait for a response as he made his way back into the house. Link remained in the same corner he had left him. Ness wasted no time in pinning him against the wall, ignoring the hoots and complaints from his friends. Once they laid eyes on the bodies they were rendered speechless. The blonde struggled to free his wrists from Ness's grasp to no avail. He then opened his eyes to meet the other boy's infuriated ones. Preston and Red silently tiptoed their way through the three bodies and walked their way up the stairs. When they were left alone, Ness cleared his throat. He was a bit too close to Link's face, he noted, but he was not about to back down.

"Care to explain?" He said as he threw a nod in the direction of the corpses. Link eyed them wistfully for a second before his eyes were covered in pain again. He forced his gaze back to Ness and opened his mouth but no noise came out. The raven haired boy tightened his grasp on Link's wrists, making the blonde grunt.

"Let… go." He said he shook his arms slightly, causing the grasp on them tighten even more. He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes at this.

"Talk." Ness commanded, eyes boring into the blonde's now fearful ones.

"I can't…"

"Talk now."

"Ness, please! I don't-"

"Stop your bullshit excuses and talk!" Ness said as he pulled him off the walled and slammed him against it. Link let out a high pitched noise as he turned his head away from him.

"I don't want-" The blonde started only to have the boy lean into his ear.

"Talk! Or I will make you!" He shouted, making the blonde cringe at the jarring noise.

"Ness-"

"Fucking talk!" He shouted once again.

"I HAD TO!" Link screamed back as he suddenly jerked his head to meet Ness's glare. They remained like that a few second before the brunette stepped back, releasing the blonde's wrist as he did so. His eyes still held a question in it that Link could easily read. He rubbed his wrists as the blood flowed once again in his hands. He turned his head away and clenched his jaw. "I had to because…" He cowered at the memory and bit his lips to stop the oncoming tears. Ness felt guilt boil inside his gut as he watched the boy in front of him struggle internally.

"Link I'm so-"

"Shut up." The blonde spat as he glared him at him. Ness closed his mouth and sighed. The blonde took in a deep breath as he leaned against the wall; the tiredness he felt suddenly became overwhelming. "I had to because… she was bitten. She was bitten in an attempt to save me. My dad was killed because of me too. Their deaths are my fault. Happy now?" Link spoke, a mix of spite and rue in his tone. Ness bowed his head, regret gnawing at his chest. He opened mouth to apologize but decided not to. Link had already had his share of pain and he didn't need any more added to the lot.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Ness mumbled as reached for the blonde's shoulder. Link swatted his hand away, and then he nodded. The raven haired boy shut the door and waited for Link to start walking. He followed close behind once he did. The blonde boy looked as his parents one last time before making his way upstairs.

* * *

"Uh… how do you set this damned thing to give off warm water?" Red asked Preston as he looked at Aryll, who was sitting on the toilet eyeing them curiously. Preston doubtfully opened the faucet and struggled with it until he got the hot water running. He smiled triumphantly at Red before turning to the girl.

"Is this okay?" He asked her. Aryll introduced her hand into the water and nodded. She then looked up at the two boys expectantly. They looked at her the same way.

"Get out." She finally said after a few seconds of awkward staring.

"Oh!" The two brunettes said as they walked towards the door, fighting over who got out first. Aryll shut the door behind them. They slowly walked over to her bed and sat down, listening to the water run. A couple minutes later Ness appeared at the door, deep in thought.

"So… we are taking them, right?" Red asked him. Ness nodded, his mind elsewhere as he leaned against the door frame.

"Did you collect supplies?" He asked them as he returned to his normal self. The brunettes nodded as they looked over to a bag on the floor.

"They had already pack provisions. Seems they were going to escape this place too." Preston answered truthfully, managing to thicken the awkwardness in the room even more. They remained silent for a few minutes listening to the running water.

"What happened to Link?" Red asked. Ness looked at him for a moment before he sighed, a sudden sullen expression taken over him.

He slowly slid down the door frame until he was sitting down on the floor. "His dad was killed by an infected person. His mother bitten by the same one. At least she managed to kill him before she turned too… Link then had to kill her off." Ness muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. "He had an ugly bruise on his abdomen. I didn't ask him how he got it though..." He added, trying to elicit a livelier response from his friends. They eyed each other before nodding.

"Ness…" Preston started, a worried look now on his face. The raven haired boy looked up to meet his gaze and waited for him to speak. "Do you think we could try and pass by my house?" Ness remained silent for a moment, before nodding silently.

* * *

_October 6_

_0058 Hours_

Ness walked over to car where the last bag was being loaded by Red. After they all had climbed and situated themselves on a seat, Ness started the car. The lights illuminated the road just in time to reveal a pack of infected people stagger into Link's front yard and entrance. He looked up into the rearview mirror to see said blonde lean into the window and stare at his house with pain. Ness drove off in order to distract the blonde boy and his sister, who now was sitting in the solo seat in front of his brother's. She sniffled a few times as she rubbed a tear off her cheek. The ride become silent and filled with a veil of silent grief.

"Lucas!" Link croaked as he suddenly awoke. Ness and the others gasped at his sudden outburst and turned to him. Ness stopped the car and looked back at him.

"What about him?" He inquired. Link was now hyperventilating and frantically looking around the neighborhood.

"I need to get him! I need to save him! I need to-" He was cut off by Preston's shushing.

"He lives a few blocks down from my house. After we check up on mine, we'll go to his okay?" He said as he smiled at Link. The blonde took in a deep breath and leaned back into the seat, a grateful smile on his features. Preston sat back down, his eyes on the road. Ness rubbed his right temple as he started driving again. Again the car ride went silent, but now a little peace filled the atmosphere. Ness blinked the sleepiness he was feeling away and drove towards Preston house, which was a minute away. He reached the gates of the residential area. At first he felt a wave of relief wash over him but it was soon replaced with a pang of anguish.

Said gates were open and the guards that were supposed to keep them were lying dead in the guarding stall. Ness looked over at Preston to see his eyes open in fear. Without any warnings, the brunette opened the door and jumped out, running in the direction of his house. Ness opened the door and looked back at the remaining people inside.

"Wait here. If I don't come in ten, _leave_." He ordered them before he ran after Preston, who now was out of sight. Ness took a turn right and saw the residence's club area. A couple of infected people were there. He prayed they didn't see him as he ran past them and turned left. The chilly wind hit his face as he ran down the street. His eyes saw in the horizon the oh so familiar park near Preston's house. He continued down the main road, passing house after house. He either saw blood or heard screams as he ran. His gut started churning each passing second he was away from the car or Preston. He finally reached the end of the street and took a left again. Three houses after that he turned left one last time and came into the street where Preston's house was. He saw a person standing in the middle of the street. He ran to the person and was relieved to see Preston was unscathed. He placed a hand on his shoulder and let his knees buckle. Ness struggled with his breath a little before turning to look up at Preston. He saw his mouth agape and a single tear running down his face. His eyes never meet his. All they did was stare at the house in front of him. Ness stomach sank as his head slowly turned to look in front of him. The lights were all out except in one room. The window of said room had blood splattered on it. Ness straightened up, eyeing his friend as he did so.

"Preston…" He started, but found no other words to say. The brunette shook his head slightly as he took a step forward.

"No. No… NO!" He ended up screaming as he sunk to his knees. His sobs became louder by the second. Ness kneeled beside him and placed a hand on his back. They remained like that for a few seconds before a noise called their attention. A chill ran down Ness's spine as they turned to look up.

"Mom?" Preston whispered as he looked at the woman at the door. She looked in a hurry and disoriented, yet not rabid. She didn't have any signs of bite marks anywhere on her body that were visible. At the sound of Preston's voice her hazy expression vanished. She looked down at her son and a single tear escaped her eyes. A wide smiled crept her way up to her lips as she extended her arms towards him.

"Preston? Preston!" She cried out as she started stumbling over to him. Preston stood up, yet did not approach so soon. He squinted his eyes as he examined her features. After a few seconds of nothing happening he felt his own lips curl up into a smile. He gave a sole step forward as he raised his right arm in her direction.

"Mom! Mom I-" He started as he took another step forward, his own sobbing interrupting him. Ness sighed as he felt his own eyes begin to water. Preston staggered forwards towards his mother. He reached her and wrapped his arms around her. He sniffled a few times before she began to gently rub his back.

"Mom I-" He started again, only this time his sobs weren't the ones to interrupt him. A loud laugh manated from behind his mother. They all turned to see a man standing on the house's front porch only to freeze in place. It was an unknown male. Her eyes widened in fear as she looked in between the man and his son. He had a knife in his hand and a wicked smile as he eyed the young boy. She then proceeded to push her son with all her might, causing him to stagger back a few feet until he toppled down a short distance from Ness. She had an urging look on her face.

"Preston, run!" She screamed. The brunette tried to stand up but the shaking of his limbs made it impossible for him to do so. At this, Ness ran towards him and placed a hand under his arms. He pulled him to his feet and started hoisting him away. Preston turned to his mother. The man laughed again, only this time, he charged towards her. She looked at his son before running in the opposite direction, where the street reached a dead end. His eyes widened in realization. She was sacrificing herself for his sake.

"Mom!" He screamed with all his might. She suddenly stopped and turned around to face the oncoming man. She found her son's eyes and smiled at him. Preston shook in Ness's hold as he tried to run towards his mother. The brunette then elbowed his friend, causing him to double over in pain. At this Preston shook him off and turned around, trying to walk with his shaking limbs. He only managed to stagger a few steps before he fell on all fours. His eyes searched for his mother's. Once their gaze was locked, he extended an arm towards. The woman did the same and let a sole tear run down her cheek. The man took a leap in the air and landed successfully in front of her. And then, the boy saw it. Her mother's brave façade faltered and the real fear behind her eyes came to light. Her gaze now was on the male in front. He then rose to his feet and towered over her. She wobbled a few steps back and started begin for mercy.

"Don't kill me please! I don't want to die…" She cried, her beautiful features now filled with tears. She kneeled down and began crying louder, her pleas of mercy having no effect on the man in front of her. He then bent down and lifted her up by her hair, ignoring the shrieks of pain coming out of her. His free hand rose up to her face where he began dragging his fingers over her cheek. He then dropped her on the floor, kicking her directly in the sheen. She then let out one of those screams that were bound to haunt the nightmares of whoever heard them. The man then proceeded to pull his gun out and point at her.

"You move or struggle and I'll kill you, bitch." He warned in a deep voice. Not a second later, another man exited the house.

"Boss, the husband's taken care of. Unluckily, the girl ran away." He announced. He had a round face and a bald head. His body was stuffd with fat and filled with scars of previous fights in which he had been involved. There was a particular one that crossed his face diagonally, starting from his left brow and ending in the middle of his right cheek. He was draped in dirty rags and also had a bloodied knife on his hand. "Damn, I really wished to have a lil' fun with her." He added, an actually crestfallen expression on his face.

"You fucking idiot." The boss said. He then found Preston's eyes. A sick smile found his lips as he looked at him. "What about _him_?" He mumbled as he nodded in the boy's direction.

"**No**! Leave him alone!" His mother cried. At this the man standing above her shot a warning shot up in the air and kneeled beside her. he then pressed the gun's muzzle to her thigh, branding a circle on her unblemished skin. She screamed again, causing Preston to let out a quiet sob.

"I don't remember giving you permission to speak…" He spat, venom dripping out his tone. He then looked back at his partner.

"Get him." He said, nodding in Preston's direction. The boy's eyes widened as he tried to stand, his sobs becoming louder every time he failed. The fat man started running towards him until he was in front of him. Preston looked up to meet the eyes of the man. They were laced with perverseness as he bent down and pulled Preston up by the hair. The boy struggled in his grasps, but his struggling only cause him more pain. The strength of the man was superior to his. His cries turned into screams for help when he felt the man's member poking his thigh. The fat man bent down until he was head to head with the brunette. He then licked his lobe slowly, making the boy cringe. "We are going to have so much fun together…" He whispered into his ear in a husky voice. Preston let out wail as the man began to unbutton his jeans. He tried freeing his arms but the man tightened his around his waist. His hand snaked into Preston's jeans and started cupping his groin, making the brunette cry out for help. His eyes landed on his neighbor's house. There he was, standing at the window, watching the scene unraveling in front of him. He then turned around and shut the blinds. The brunette then stopped struggling as his body was overtaken by numbness. _He… didn't do anything… Why? _Preston let out a sob as the man placed his lips on his neck, breathing down heavily on his earlobe. Suddenly said man went limp and fell the side. Preston turned around to see Ness with a large boulder in his hands and a feral glare in his eyes. The raven haired boy then jumped over the body grabbing Preston's arm as he landed. He then darted away from the scene, pulling his friend along. He turned his head to see the "boss" looking down at his partner. After a second, he looked up at the fleeing boys and pointed his gun at them, at him more specifically. Ness felt his breath hitch in his throat. His eyes shut tightly.

_Bang._

He waited for any kind of pain to flourish in his body, but got nothing. When he reopened his eyes, he caught sight of Preston's mother standing in between them and the gun. A hole could be seen on her forehead, a stream of blood pouring out and tainting her features. Ness jerked his head to see Preston looking back as well with a horrified expression on his face as he did. He didn't wait for her body to hit the ground to turn right, towards the main street. He just simply looked forward, ignoring the cries of pain from his now orphan friend.

* * *

Ness's breathing was ragged when they reached the car. The couple collapsed in front of it after having walked out the gates. Red immediately jumped out the SUV and hurried to help him up. Link hesitantly did the same, but approached them more cautiously.

"Oh my god… Ness… Preston… What happened?!" Red cried out as he and Link helped the exhausted couple into the car. The brunette suddenly broke into tears as he leaned into Link's shoulder. The blonde was taken aback by the action, but didn't deny him of comfort. Ness and Red stared at Preston for a minute before the raven haired boy punched the dash board. Red took a step back and eyed him worriedly. A spiteful look invaded his friend's eyes and he threatened to cry, but didn't. He instead started the car.

"Climb up. We're leaving." He ordered without looking at anyone. Link and Red hurriedly entered the vehicle and took their respective places. Ness then backed up the car and drove down the road.

"Link, forget about Lucas. We are leaving." The driving boy spoke after a few minutes of silence. At this the car's atmosphere tensed.

The blonde straightened up and looked at Ness's eyes on him through the rearview. "What? How can you say that?! He may still be alive! We need to go ge-" The raven haired boy pulled the car over and turned around.

"You want to go get him?! Fine, get off and go get him your damn self! I am not risking anybody anymore in order to go save an already _**dead**_ person!" He shouted, successfully making everyone in the car cower. Link looked close to tears as he turned his head to the side ignoring Ness's intense gaze. After a few seconds of staring, the boy started the car again. Nobody spoke after that.

* * *

**Yeah, fast update. I actually have done a few chapters already, but haven't posted any. I'm uploading another two tomorrow, or more. Who knows? Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed! See ya next chap!**


	6. Decisions

p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"October 6/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"0630 Hours/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"They were currently nearing the outskirts of the town, buildings decreasing and very rural took over their scenery. The sun shone brightly in between the hills, tainting the sky a pink with a hue of orange and red. Ness stopped the car beside the road and took a deep breath. He was exhausted. They had been driving for hours with no real destination. The overwhelming realization that an actual apocalypse may have started making its way to the boy's thoughts, and he wasn't digesting the information well. What will we do? We have nobody to fend for us so we'll have to do it ourselves… But how? Things like this flew by his train of thought. His head gradually lowered until it laid on the steering wheel./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I'm tired…" He whispered to himself, his shoulders drooping as he said it. The flickering of an orange light made him raise his head. He gasped loudly once he saw what it was, successfully waking Preston up. The brunette jerked in seat before turning to Ness./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""What is it?" He yawned, while stretching his back. After the last bone popped, Preston took time to analyze the situation by himself. Ness was staring wide eyed at something that continued blinking. The brunette leaned closer to his friend and looked in th3e direction of his eyes./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Shit." They both said in unison. They turned around to the see the others sleeping peacefully unaware of the plight they were now in./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Wake up!" Ness shouted, making Link and Red fall off their seats. Aryll's eyes fluttered opened and fell on Ness's worried ones. Her brother was the second one to meet his gaze with Red following not soon after./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"They both sat up and shared an annoyed glance before turning t face Ness. "What happened? Why did you yell?" Red asked drowsily, a little tilt at the end of the sentence indicating he was undoubtedly whining./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""We are almost out of gas."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""What?" They both snapped, all lucidity returning to their bodies. Red bent over as he walked his way to the front seats. He poked his head in between Ness and Preston and looked at blinking E in the cars gas gauge./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Uh…" He tried saying something but no words came to his mind. The car fell silent as they all pondered a solution to this problem. The sun rose, and still no words were etched inside that vehicle./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""There is a gas station 10 miles from here." A monotonous voiced spoke from behind. They all turned to see Link with a bored expression and his phone in his hand./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""You're getting a signal?" Preston asked bemused. The blonde looked up with what seemed annoyed eyes at the blonde./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Yes."/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Um… How-"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""At first I thought the idea of the server still working looked pretty preposterous to me, but after analyzing the minute yet plausible chance the centrals were abandoned and left still running I decided to check it for myself and… Voila: Google maps!" He stated, waving his arm at the end of the sentence irradiating fake enthusiasm. After he finished talking he returned to his sour mood. The trio in front shared a surprised glance before huddling close together./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Okaay. First, why did we run out of gas so quickly? And second, will we be able to make it to the gas station before it runs out?" Red stated as he pulled the two boys under his arms. Ness furrowed his brow for a moment before pushing Red off him. The raven haired boy opened the door and jumped out car, ducking under it swiftly. Half of his body was under the vehicle and half was out. The people inside refrained from moving too much due to this. A minute later, he came out./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""We seem to have a leak." He said, fretting as he paced the pavement beside the car. Without speaking a word, Link crept out the car and made his way to the hood. He patted it loudly as he stared at Preston with an expectant look. the brunette hesitantly scooted closer to the driver's seat and pressed the releasing button of the hood. It jumped up a few centimeter and remained hovering over the motor before the blonde pushed it up and secured it in place with the bar. He stared at the contents of the car, his both arms crossed over his chest. He then started to circle the vehicle. His eyes scrutinized each section of the car before he ended again in front of the opened hood. He then walked over to Ness and uncrossed his arms./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""So everything is okay. Explain, what type of leak is it: pipe or tank?" He asked him as he leaned against the car./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Tank." Ness answered, as he looked away from Link. The blonde groaned as he rolled his eyes./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Good going, Captain Condescendence." He scoffed. The brunette turned to face him with wide eyes and an agape mouth. He scowled at the blonde before letting out an indignated huff. He jutted his hip out and placed a hand on his chest, as an exaggeration. The blonde glared at him before straightening up too./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Me? Condescending?" Ness asked with an obvious fake annoyment. "Tell me something I don't know, will ya?" He added with his regular tone. Link's eyes twitched as he bawled his fists./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Don't patronize me!" He spat out, making Ness chuckle./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I do what I want." He said cheerily before his stern disposition returned. He stretched his back, ignoring the fuming blonde beside him. "If this is about Lucas, let it go." At this the blonde took in a sharp breath and gritted his teeth./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""How dare you tell me that?! He was my best friend and one of the only persons I truly trusted! And because of you I couldn't go to help him like he had done with me many times in the past!" He screamed, ending punching the car's door./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Excuse me? I gave you the opportunity to go look for him." He added calmly as he bent down to touch his toes./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Yeah, like if I was going to walk into that place infested with- Look at me when I'm talking to you, you fucking douche!" The blonde had pulled Ness up by the shirt./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Let go." He growled dangerously low, gripping Link's wrists tightly. "Be grateful we're even letting you ride with us! If it weren't for me you'd be dead by now-"/p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I'd rather be dead than alive partnering with an asshole like you!" The blonde shouted at Ness, silencing him./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Guys! Guys stop fighting. We are not in a situation where we can let our difference meddle in between us. We need to stick together and form a plan, okay?" Preston called out from the inside of the car. The two boys glared at each other before the blonde released the brunette. They both stepped into the car and took their seats begrudgingly./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Okay, in my opinion, we should drive until the gas runs out. Then after that two of us go pick up more fuel in order to make it to the gas station. Once the car reaches that destination, we'll decide what to do next." Red suggested. They all turned to look at him with a disbelieving look on their faces./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""So you're actually thinking of two of us walking, vulnerable to any infected person? You must be stupider than what you actually look." Link said as he frowned at him. Red turned around to face the blonde./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Any brighter ideas, genius?" He spat angrily before looking back at his friends. His heart clenched at the sight of Ness leaning against the steering wheel, obviously exhausted. He inched forward to him and extended an arm to rub the boy's shoulder. He slowly turned to face Red, dark circles under his eyes and a light smile on his lips./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Ness, you're staying here to rest once the car reaches a stop. One of us will stay to take care of you." Red ordered. His friend made no move to complain as he nuzzled closer to the steering wheel. Preston pulled his sweater off and covered his friend with it before returning to his seat./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""… Fine." Link spoke silently from behind. Preston and Red nodded in his direction as Ness started to car, speeding off into the road again./p  
hr /  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Seven minutes and eight miles later the car sputtered to its stop. Ness immediately reclined his seat until it was horizontal. His eyes fluttered close with a content smile in his lips. The three remaining boys exchanged expectant glances for the longest of times./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Who's going out?" Red finally asked. The two other boys pointed at each other as they looked at him. Red rolled his eyes./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Ugh… okay. Rock, paper, scissors? One out of one." He suggested. Link wasted no time in climbing over to the brunette's side. Once they were close to each other they started./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Rock, paper, scissors!" Red and Preston whispered since Ness had already drifted off. Preston pulled rock, while Red paper. He made an expression of pain as sunk into his sear, his loath of having lost evident. Now the brunette turned to Link, who let out a shaky breath as he hid his hands behind his back./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Rock, paper, scissors!" They both whispered hurriedly. And of course, Link drew scissors while Red drew out rock. He did a victory dance on his seat while the two losers moped./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Raynold?" Link said. The brunette stopped his show off and turned to face the blonde. "Take care of Aryll while I'm gone, okay? And promise me you'll still take care of her if I don't come back." He pleaded solemnly. The little girl was currently curled up in the back, wrapped up in her brother's hoodie. They stared at her for a moment before the brunette turned to Link. Red's smile was gone and was replaced with a determined look. He extended a hand and placed it on Link's shoulder./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I promise." He affirmed him. His eyes never left him as he and Preston exited the car. They remained on him until he was no longer visible on the horizon./p 


	7. Breaks

_October 6_

_0702 Hours_

"Are they coming back yet?"

Red face planted the seats in front of him. Aryll had woken up exactly three minutes after his brother and Preston had left the car. This was the fifth time she'd asked that same question in a sole minute.

"No." He drawled, not bothering to remove his face off the seats. _Did I actually agree to take care of this little girl? Fuck. Me._ Red felt a hard jab on his ribs and a series of muffled giggles followed it. He rolled his head to face Aryll. It was surprising to see somebody could be this jolly in such a depressive, new world. The fact that somebody like that still existed was… refreshing. Though this refreshment was getting on poor Red's last nerve. He rolled his head the opposite way and looked at his friend sleeping. His eyelashes looked twice as long and his lips looked a little pale. He overall had an okay appearance, which calmed him down a tad. He sighed and looked around. There was nothing but plain little country houses. Some looked decrepit, some rather new. The new ones made him think of how much time and money and effort were put into them only to live there for a few months or years. Then out of the blue, be forced out your house and onto the streets, trying to seek for a safe haven. And then, he thought about their future. Where they going to just drive or were they going to stop at some point? What exactly were they going to do? And then, his head wandered to the present. Are Link and Preston safe right now? A feeling of uneasiness started growing in the pit of his stomach. What if they had gotten lost? What if they had been attacked? What if they-

"Are they coming back yet?" Aryll asked again with a soothing innocence in her tone. He turned to look at her and smiled. He then pulled her close and hugged her to his side.

"I don't know Aryll…" He whispered. "We can only hope they will come back."

* * *

_October 6 _

_0707 Hours_

"Are we there yet?" Preston asked for the umpteenth time. Link sighed and looked at his phone screen. He stopped for a second and examined the route they were taking.

"Turn left here and it'll be a hundred meters from us. Let's go." He said as he started jogging without tearing his eyes off the map. Preston ran after noticing the flaxen haired boy significantly ahead of him. He had already reached the gas station when Preston managed to catch up with him.

"You are fast even though you are so short…" The brunette panted out, earning a glare from Link. He huffed and walked ahead into the store.

"Hey we have to carry the gas back! Not eat snacks…" He called out after him. Link stopped halfway into the seven eleven and turned around.

"Do you plan on carrying it all with your hands or…?" He sassed before entering the store. Preston blushed at this and begrudgingly followed close behind. Once inside they started roaming the stands. Link grabbed a bag from behind the counter and proceeded to fill it with food and drinks.

"It's incredibly quiet here… Almost like a ghost town." Preston said as he eyed the streets. Link made a noncommittal moan as he went through the medicines in the counter.

"I think there are a few gas cans outside in the storage house. Can you go get them?" The blonde mumbled as he read the label of a bottle of pills. Preston gulped as he nodded even though the other boy wasn't looking. He pushed the doors and exited the store. The storage was right of the gas pumps. It had a red roof and green walls with a maroon door to top it off. The paint seemed weathered down which meant it was quite old or had had little maintenance. The brunette gingerly approached the doors and gave them a light push. They opened a bit, allowing him to see what was inside. Mops, cleaning items and brooms were along the inventory but what stood out were the three gas cans at the end of the room. He sighed as he stepped into the storage house and flicked the lights on. He tiptoed his way through the sea of scattered items until he reached the red cans. He pulled the plastic containers off the floor and started making his way towards the door. He was about to step outside until he heard a low and guttural moan beyond the doors. He slowly sidestepped away from the open doors and leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down to the floor. He heard heavy footsteps approaching the entrance of the storage house. A shadow started to form as the creature neared the house. He bit his lips as a black figure entered his peripheral vision. Preston refused to look at what was a foot or two from him. The figure continued to walk ahead, apparently not noticing the shivering boy to his right. Once it was fully inside the little brunette got a clear view of the man. Dark skin, shaved head, and a muscular body that looked about 6'5. Suddenly being 5'8 made Preston feel impotent. The man paid no mind to him and continued to walk into the room. He stopped once the wall got in his way. He stood there immobile, making no noise or anything actually. Preston swallowed down the knot in his throat, mustering all the courage he had to stand up. His legs wobbled slightly as he started tip toeing out the room. He was about to exit the place unscathed but his luck had proven inexistent once again that day. As single can slipped from his grasp and banged against the metal doors, making a loud sound. Preston felt the hairs on his nape stand up as he heard muffled noise from behind him. He slowly turned his head over his shoulder to see the room. The man had turned around and was growling as he looked at him intently. Preston maintained eye contact with him.

Suddenly, he turned around and slammed the doors shut. The brunette then grabbed a chain that was on the gravel and encircled it around the handles. The footsteps of the man inside grew gradually louder until they stopped. Preston waited for a few seconds for any sort of moment. There was a loud scream and a violent bang on the doors. The banging continued for a few seconds until it grew into a soft pounding. The brunette sighed, his heart beat returning to normal. He fetched the strewn gas cans and walked towards the pumps. He started filling the cans as he waited for Link to come out the store. The first can was full when the blonde approached him. He squatted beside him and examined his face. He slowly took a bite off his Snickers and chewed as he squinted his eyes.

"You look agitated." Link said after swallowing his chocolate. Preston resisted the urge to smack him and returned to filling the cans. The blonde snatched one and walked to the pump next to the one Preston was at.

Soon the cans were filled and ready to be transported to the car. The couple stood in front the gas station and eyed the town they were on, unsure as to how they were going to comfortably carry the cans back. Preston sighed as he sat down on the curb.

"Hey, look." Link said as he lightly prodded the brunette with his foot. Preston tsk'ed as he pushed Link's leg away and looked at whatever he was pointing at. A block or two from them was a Target standing proudly. They eyed each other knowingly before picking the cans up and walking over to the store. Once inside the store they made a bee line for the bike's section.

"Pick one with a basket or something." Link said as he eyed the small variety they had. Preston dismounted a blue one from the stand it was on and sat on it. He looked at Link. Link looked at him. He bounced a few times on the bike and laughed.

"Yeah, I guess this will do." He said as he managed to fit one can inside the basket. Link eyed the room and his eyes fell on the backpacks section. He pulled a red one down and tried to fit a can in. After struggling with it for a few seconds, the zipper was finally closed. He pulled it over his shoulder and started walking around in circles.

"Yeah, this will do." Link said as he pulled a black mountain bike off its stand. They pushed the bikes towards the entrance and parked them in front. The blonde boy then went back into the store.

"Link! Where are you going?" Preston called out. The shorter boy turned looked over his shoulder and grinned.

"Let's give Ness a little bit more of time to rest!" He chirped before entering the store. Preston looked around the empty streets and sighed, following the blonde inside.

* * *

_October 6_

_0756 Hours_

Red looked at his watch once again and sighed. They had been out for an entire hour now. The feeling of dread in his stomach returned but a thousand times worse. Aryll had fallen asleep again and he was left alone with his thoughts, which weren't all that pleasant. He let his body droop forward as he tried to stop the images that were flowing into his brain. _Tears. Fear. Blood. Bodies. I'm sick of it and it hasn't even been a day…_ He felt his eyes begin to water as he contemplated the fact that his friends were killed and he wasn't even there to lend them a helping hand in their last moments.

"I should've gone with them…" He mumbled into his hands as his tears began flowing. The car's door flew open, dragging the brunette out his reverie. He looked up to see Link and Preston carrying the gas cans and a few more items. They had a smile in their faces until they saw his puffy eyes and red nose.

"Are you okay?" Link asked, whereas Preston who attached himself onto Red and began rubbing his back. Red felt a surge of happiness travel through his being as he hugged Preston back.

"Where the hell were you?!" He barked, his sweet demeanor gone. The brunette holding him wiggled backwards and off the car. He pulled in the bag containing food and placed on the seat along with another hardware store items.

"We just brought some snacks and something to patch the hole in the tank." He answered with a toothy grin. Red looked down and into the bag dubiously. His hand suddenly shot into it and pulled out one of the microwave burritos they had brought. He quickly removed the wrapper and took a bite. The brunette let out a content sigh as the food reach his stomach.

"We also brought bikes, just so you know." Link added casually. Red stopped mid-bite and cocked his head to the side. Indeed, two bikes were parked beside the car.

"How on earth are we supposed to take them with us?" He asked, obviously puzzled by their whim. Link and Preston shared a knowing look before the blonde revealed what he had in his bag.

"A three storage bike mount rack!" He cheered. Red deadpanned at this. His eyes fleeted from Link to Preston and back. He then snorted, shaking his head. His laughter grew to the point one could say he was guffawing. He ignored the questioning look from the two boys in front of him. He didn't want them to know the real reason why he was laughing. The fact that world seemed to be facing an impending Armageddon or the other fact that he hadn't sorted his future out didn't matter at the moment. It was all so irrelevant because even though he didn't know what was going to happen, he had people like them in his life. And maybe, just maybe, he might've found a reason to survive it all at that precise moment.

* * *

Well this was a cute little chapter I guess...  
I'm sorry for being away for so long, but this writer's block was beyond humongous. Had never been blocked for soon long. I'll try to keep this from happening again.


	8. My Fair Ladies

_October 13_

_1234 Hours_

Ness drove up the highway, surrounded only by plains and free land. The car was quiet, with only the occasional inquiry about the time and location from the group members inside.

"Look… we're arriving… somewhere." Ness announced as the outskirt city buildings started surrounding the car. Heads snapped in the direction of the windows and examined the area. Cars were parked at awkward angles across the streets and papers were strewn about the place. The raven haired boy came to stop when a pickup stood in between them and the rest of the city. He sighed and slumped in his seat. "Somebody go out there and put that shit on neutral, please?"

"I'll go." Preston said as he pulled open the door and stepped out. His eyes drifted from car to car, waiting for anything to pop up. It was only expected from what they had just gone through. After a few seconds of eerie silence, he made his way to the blue pickup. He pulled the door open and sat in the seat. His hand found its way to the stick. A few failed attempts later he managed to pull it down to neutral. Preston sent thumbs up to Ness, who ordered the remaining two to go help push the car. Link sighed as he slipped out the car, carelessly walking towards Preston, whereas Red, who squinted his eyes and examined the streets. Both brunettes and the blonde positioned themselves behind the car. Slowly but steadily it began to roll out the way. Once the path was cleared again, Ness started up the engine. They continued to drive deeper into the city. Minutes passed in total silence before the grumbling of someone's stomach broke it. They all turned to the culprit.

"I'm hungry, okay?" Aryll defended herself. Link sighed as he felt his own stomach ask for food by burning its own linens with the acid it produced. He threw his head to the towards the window and began reading the signs. _Westwood Inn to the left… Central Bank to the east… Mall Center to the right…!_

"Wait, stop the car!" He yelled, making the car screech to a halt. Ness turned slowly to him, his eyebrow quivering slightly.

"What on Earth-"

"Food." He interrupted. The raven haired boy closed his mouth and looked in the direction the blonde was now pointing.

"A… mall?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah, we could find food in the Food Court, you know?" Link countered, his eyes covered with hope. Ness eyed him dubiously, his eyes fleeting back to the sign.

"I don't know, Link, the food could be rotten by now." He spoke skeptically. He saw now mall nearby which meant they would have to get out their way in order to reach it. Getting lost in their situation would be their death. The blonde behind him sighed.

"Okay, I give you that. But think, we could find medicines in there, and clothes. Maybe even some weapons… That place right there is a gold mine." Link leaned back into his seat and yawned, waiting for Ness's response. They all turned to the driver, obviously convinced by the blonde's words. He looked into each pair of eyes staring at him pleadingly before letting out an exasperated groan. An internal battle commenced inside his head, thoughts flying around each corner of his mind. He then cursed himself mentally. They all cheered as he drove up and turned towards the street that led to the mall. The happy cheers came to a stop once they saw their situation. The entire boulevard was now a cemetery for abandoned cars.

"We can't drive through that. And we wouldn't be able to clear the path within a few hours, we'd need weeks!" Red stated the obvious. Ness sighed as he started to back up the car.

"Hey, but… maybe we can walk there?" Aryll suggested shyly. They all turned to her, doubtfully considering the option. The place looked like it held something behind every car and set of doors. A something that would be ready to chase them and gut them if it had the chance.

"It's too dangerous, we-" Preston started, but was cut off.

"_We_ could find useful stuff in there, dude. I thinks it's worth a shot." Red said as he patted his backpack.

"I'm with Preston on this one. Guys, we don't know what's out there." Ness countered. His eyes scanned the air, a sudden burden beginning to form in his chest.

Link let out an annoyed sighed. "I don't know about you, but I do not want to starve to death. I want to go. My sister wants to go. Hell, even Raynold wants to go. That's three against two. Majority wins."

"Are you shitting me?"

"No sir, I ain't shitting you. Now come on, let's try to get back before sundown." Link said as opened the car's doors, letting no room for any more discussion. Red shrugged as he grabbed his bag and jumped out, behind Link. Aryll wasted no time in climbing down and shutting the doors. Ness and Preston shared a worried look before following the blonde's lead.

* * *

_October 13_

_1316 Hours_

The group maneuvered through the sea of cars, carefully surveying their surroundings. Ness pulled on his jacket as a shiver spread throughout his body. He looked up towards the fifty story buildings before looking up ahead. Link and Raynold were walking on the median, heads turning in all directions. _They are scared._ He thought. He then rolled his eyes. Preston jumped over the hood of a car and slid over to him, landing ungracefully on his heels.

"Do you… Do you feel it too?" He asked in a low voice while giving the area a once-over. Ness frowned as he turned to look at him.

"Feel what?" He questioned, his hands burying into his pockets.

"The presence…" Preston whispered as he inched closer to his friend. Ness slowed his gait a bit, said presence suddenly making itself known. A veil of worry settled over him as he threw his head about the place. He felt his face pale, eyeing his friend with his peripheral vision. He was doing the same too. Both felt as if something was creeping up behind them, causing a chill to run throughout their body. They slowly turned their heads backwards. A gasp escaped their lips simultaneously. _Creepers_, as they had dubbed them, flooded the street behind them. There were more than what they could count with their hands and even feet. A herd, was the appropriate name for what was happening behind them. They still hadn't noticed the group, which meant they still had a chance to flee. Ness and Preston sped up their pace until the caught up with the trio in front.

"Okay, don't panic but we've got a few dozens of creepers behind us." Preston said with a shaky voice. The trio immediately snapped their heads back. Their faces paled and their expressions changed into one of fear.

"Oh my god…" Red said in a barely audible voice. He turned his head up ahead and repeated the sentence. Another herd, though smaller, was beginning to form at the end of the street. The group halted completely.

"I'm going to die here." Link said more to himself than to the group. Ness gave a few steps forward and looked beyond the herd. _The mall_… It stood proudly and free of any creepers right ahead of them. All they had to do was cross the intersection and run and it would be there. He looked back and saw the creepers had gained space in between them. He inhaled a shaky breath before looking back at the group.

"Listen to me and listen to me closely." He whispered as he began walking, the group reluctantly following him. "The mall is right in front of us, not even five hundred yards from here. If we manage to run towards it, we might be able to get there. But when I say run, I mean _run_." He added, eyeing the oncoming danger warily. "At the count of three…" The group held tight onto their bags and kept their gaze on Ness's nape. He could feel them. "One…" He whispered, feeling his insides churn when the herd in front of them starting sniffing the air. "Two…" One of the creepers looked their way. It groaned a few times before walking towards them. It sniffed the air once. And then twice. And finally, thrice. Suddenly it let out a loud and inhumane scream as it ran their way. The group immediately bolted, hearing several screams follow the first one. Raynold looked back. Not only was the herd of the front following them now, the one of the back too. The group zigzagged through the street, avoiding other creepers that were already there. Ness looked back to see Preston ducking just in time to avoid the grasp of one of the creepers. He turned his head back up ahead only to bump into something soft. His gaze shot up to meet the one of a creeper. Its hands shot towards him. It was about to grab him until another hand pulled him away. He saw Link look back at him for a second before continuing to run for his life. The brunette and the blonde ran up to the front of the group where they took the lead. The mall was now about a hundred yards away. Ness and Link piqued towards the doors and pushed them open. The other three leaped into the building. Red snatched an iron bar from the floor and used it to secure the doors. Aryll and Preston started hauling furniture to barricade it. Once everything was locked it place, the herd reached them. They banged at the glass and screamed, all looking at the fresh meat inside. Ness panted a few times before turning around, and walking further into the building. The rest of the group followed.

* * *

_October 13_

_1420 Hours_

Ness and the group were now up in the food court, scavenging around for provisions.

"I found some bottled water." Red said as he laid it on a table near the center. Link walked to him with a few packages on his arms.

"Just what I thought. Generators are keeping this place running. I found some leftover meat." He said as he placed the pork chops and the chips on the table. Aryll returned with some vegetables. Preston and Ness brought some potato salad and mashed potatoes. Once the table was served, they silently started eating. The meal went on in silence, with the occasional scream from the outside.

"This is nice." Aryll started, every pair of eyes now on her. "It feels… homely, like I have a family again." They sent a warm smile her way before they continued eating. Ness looked up to see a flaxen object jerk behind a pillar. He dropped his fork and slowly stood up, his gaze never leaving the place where the object had been standing.

"Anybody there?" He called out loudly, making the group halt their eating. "I think it's a creeper." He added as he began to duck slightly. The group slowly backtracked, keeping their eyes on the pillars in front.

"Okay, I think we-" Ness started out silently but was stopped when the weight of a body plummeted down on him. He looked up into the dead eyes of a creeper trying to bite into his forearm. It slowly started to lower its head near his neck. _I'm going to die._ He tried pushing the creeper back up but it only angered it more. He heard a few groans and yelps. He turned his head to see Red and Preston in the same dilemma as him. Raynold was up against a wall, protecting his limbs as well as he could, stretching his neck out of reach from the fangs trying to bite it. Preston on the other hand had gained a weird position in which he had ducked down and pushed the creeper away by the hips, using his hands and feet to do so, and had his back glued to the glass panels of the rail. Link had taken her sister under a table where he tried to muffle her cries to prevent anymore creepers from hearing. He then locked eyes with Ness. They were filled with fear, and they held a single question.

_What do I do?! _

_What do I do? What do I do?_ Ness could almost hear his voice in his ear. _What do I do?_ It drilled into his mind as he looked into those fathomless black eyes. _What do I do?_

He suddenly heard a cracking noise from above, and the body of the creeper went limp. It toppled on top of him, successfully ridding him of air. He was about to push it off until he remembered his friends. He looked up to where they were, expecting to find the creepers on top of them but instead he came upon a pair of… legs? _Long, firm, and toned, wrapped in exquisite red leggins_ he noted. His eyes traveled up north to meet a brown skirt with a single golden button on the right side. He continued to look up to meet a red sweater and a brown vest. Whoever this was had a little deficiency on the breasts department but it was overshadowed by a narrow waist. A maroon colored kerchief was wrapped nice and tidy around her thin neck. His eyes then met her blue ones. She had a scowl on her face, which was framed by golden strands of silky hair.

"Are you done ogling, or do you wish for little bit more of time?" She said, nudging him with her leather booted foot. Ness avoided her cold gaze and stretched his neck to see two other pair of legs, uh, girls. Yeah, girls. One had a pair of violet long sleeved shirt and leggings, black shorts, dark colored boots and cute grey beret over her black mane. A pair of enchanting black eyes accompanied the gorgeous picture. Then there was the other girl. She was wearing light colored skinny jeans, a loose pink shirt and a white cardigan over it. She had a pair of blue eyes, a little darker than her friend Mrs. Scowl over here. She threw her also blonde hair over her shoulder and walked over to him. She placed a foot, which was sporting a grey sneaker, and pushed the corpse of the creeper off him. Ness took in a long breath and looked up at his saviors. They all had bloodied bats in their hands but a smile on their face… except for the one in the red getup. She was still scowling.

"You gotta a name?" Mrs. Scowl asked him. He frowned up at her. Of course he had a name. He was tempted to answer with a deep 'duh' but remembered they had killed the creepers not long ago on their own and decided against it.

"Y-Yeah… It's Ness." He answered softly, still sitting on the floor slightly cowering beneath her gaze. Mrs. Scowl sighed and lowered to his level, a ghost of a smile on her thin lips.

"Hi, It's Ness, I'm Tetra. Nice to meet you."


	9. Paving the Road to Safety

_October 13_

_1440 Hours_

"Hi, It's Ness, I'm Tetra. Nice to meet you." The girl introduced herself, extending a hand towards him. Ness cowered slightly before taking. She rolled her eyes and tightened her grasp on his hand. She then stood up, pulling him up along with her. Ness stumbled to his feet, his cheeks flushing as the girls giggled. The blacked haired girl pulled both Preston and Raynold to their feet a bit more softly than Tetra had done with him. Both brunettes shot each other a bemused look, unsure of what to do next.

"Preston and Raynold here." Red said as he pointed at his friend and then at himself. The girl smiled slightly at them.

"I'm Irene, nice to meet you." She said in a surprisingly monotone voice. They eyed each other before a nervous chuckle escaped the brunettes' lips. A small whimper caught the attention of the people present in the room. They all looked down under the table, to see what the cause of the cries was. The other blonde girl let out a small little whimper of her own as she saw the girl in the boy's arms. She crouched down beside them and smiled at the girl.

"Hey sweetie, it's okay now. Don't cry. Paula's here… What's your name?" She asked in a motherly tone.

"Aryll…"

"Link."

Paula looked at Link for a moment, her face contorting with amusement. "I-ah was talking to the little girl…" She said as a wide grin spread over her pink lips. The boy flushed as he turned his head slightly away from the girl.

"Sorry, I… I'm Link." He mumbled, the blush on his cheeks darkening slightly. The girl then laughed, endeared by his acts.

"Noted." She said, a small giggle following after. Link nodded awkwardly as he lessened the grip on his sister and allowed himself to look into her eyes. She sniffled a few time before burying her red nose in his neck.

"Aww!" Paula cooed as she cocked her head sideways. "You guys are so cute I could just eat you!" She said in, holding her face in her hands.

"I bet he'd like that…" Preston whispered over to Red who started snickering at this. When they met a pair of blue orbs that were colder than the poles, they stopped chuckling.

"Not funny." She snapped at them before returning to the girl under the table. She was peeking at Paula with one eye as the other was pressed into Link's chest. He sighed and began the wiggle out from under the table. His sister let go of him as he stood up, latching onto him once he did.

"Aryll, was it? Don't worry, you're safe now." Paula said as she bent down to the girl's face. Ness turned his head sideways, casting an abashed glance at his friends. All they did was wiggle their eyebrows. _Idiots_.

"Okay… Enough small talk. Who are you people and what are you doing in here?" Tetra spat out, eyeing the members of Ness's group carefully. The black haired boy took a discrete step away from her, his eyes now on hers.

"We mean no harm." He started and raised his hands up to prove his point. "We were just passing by to collect some provisions and after that get the hell out of here." He added. The three girls looked at each other before gathering in front of them. they all crossed their arms and scrutinized them from head to toe. Their faces suddenly morphed into one of confusion as they heard a series of moans from behind them. They snapped their heads back and gasped at what they saw.

"You brought them here?!" Tetra yelled back at them, taking a step back from the railing. The creepers were still banging at the glass doors causing the barricade to shake along.

"At this rate they're going to break in…" Irene stated as she backtracked slightly, until she hit a table. Paula tried to speak but words failed to pass through her agape mouth. Tetra let out a growl as she tightened her grip on her bat.

"You fucking idiots!" She screamed as she took a swing at Ness, who barely managed to dodge it. Paula and Irene ran to her and held her arms behind her back. The group slowly stepped away from the rabid girl and began eyeing each other. Link gulped as he held his sister closer when she noticed she was on the brink of tears.

"Calm down, alright? It wasn't our intention." Preston said, trying to placate the girl's ire. It only made her send him a death glare.

"Because of you, we're all going to die now." She said a bit more calmly, but the venom in her voice was still there.

"Not necessarily, if we manage to get through them we mi-" Link started, but was cut off by the blonde's laughter.

"Oh, yeah? How on Earth are we going to get through the mass of zombies? Do you pretend to ask for permission to walk by?!" She barked at him, causing the blonde to flinch. She then sighed. "God… What is your plan? How are you going to get us through?" She asked more collectedly.

"_Us_?" Ness hissed out. The three girls shot him a glare before stalking towards him. Once they had effectively surrounded him they began to speak.

"_We _were all safe and sound before you came." Irene whispered dangerously low.

"_We _had managed to establish ourselves and stock on provisions that you were eating not long ago." Paula said, her sweet demeanor gone and replaced with a toxic one.

"And _we_ saved your asses from getting gutted to death. I think you owe us one." Tetra muttered as the bat in her hand swayed slightly. The raven haired boy looked at the faces of the girls before sighing.

"Fine, _us_…" He mumbled out, looking over to Link. The blonde boy looked down at the first floor. The creepers were still banging at the doors, yet they didn't seem to be causing any real damage. _Since the incentive, us, is gone, they aren't as motivated as before. _He nodded, piecing up a plan in his head.

"Okay… do we have any kerosene and gasoline in here? Rags and matches?" He asked, his body all of a sudden jittery. The girls looked at each other for a second.

"Uh… yeah. I think… What for?" Paula asked. Link smiled at her for a second before his whole face took a vicious expression.

"One word: Molotov."

* * *

_October 13 _

_1310 Hours_

The group was now sitting in the middle of the food court, about to start a plan. Link looked over to them and sighed.

"Hmm, okay. I don't think we are running out of time yet, but I do want to get this over with quickly in order to gather provisions before scramming out of here. This is what we're going to do." He said. "I need to divide the group in order to do this. I need a group to gather matches and rags. Another one has to gather kerosene. If there is no kerosene, you go to a pharmacy and get me some medical alcohol, okay? Another group has to gather gasoline from the cars in the underground parking lot. And last but not least, I need a group to fetch me some glass bottles." He said, authority dripping out his tone. They all nodded at him.

"Wait… the parking lot is very dangerous place. It's not safe. It is not yet overrun but it still has quite a handful of zombies down there…" Irene voiced out as she stared at Link. The blonde bit his lip and sighed.

"Well… I am going then. But I can't do it alone." He tapped his fingers against the table and looked at the people in front of him. The black haired girl sighed as her head drooped.

"I'll go." She said said in a defeated voice. Her two blonde friends snapped their heads in her direction, an aghast expression all over their face.

"Irene, no!" Tetra shook her head as she reached out her hand towards hers. Irene lifted her head up and giggled.

"Don't worry. I know the place as I know the lines of my palm. Plus, I have the most experience in the art of _killing_, remember?" She assured them with a smile. After meeting Link's questioning glare she rolled her eyes. "I have been in many martial arts lessons. Kendo and Karate being two of them." Link nodded, a wave of relief washing over him.

"It's settled, Irene and I are going to the parking lots to gather some gasoline. Next are the rags and matches. Paula, I need you to take my sister along for this." He ordered her. The two blondes looked at each other for a second.

"Roger that." The older blonde said.

"I need a group to get me kerosene or alcohol. Ness and Tetra, team up for this, please." Link said, pleading when he the two glared at each other. They shared one final glare before nodding.

"Sweet. Now I need the bottles… Is there any place here where we can get glass bottles?" The blonde turned to Irene, who nodded.

"Yes, there is a liquor store in basement A1." She answered. Link nodded and looked at the remaining group members without a task. He felt his face fell. A small groan escaped his lips as he slumped into his seat.

"Preston… Raynold… I need you to get me those bottles. Bring me ten if you can carry them. And please, _please_, do **not** drink any of it, alright?" The blonde ordered them. The brunettes looked at each and then nodded at Link, who sighed once again.

"Meet you here in half an hour. Go." Link barked, before taking off with Irene. He turned his head to see the group disperse. He was afraid it might be the last time he saw them.


	10. Brave Hearts and Bright Minds

_October 13_

_1315 Hours_

Irene and Link were walking through the mall heading towards the nearest flight of stairs. Before he even placed a foot on the escalator, Irene grabbed his arm and headed west from where they were.

"Where are we going?" He asked her, struggling slightly in her grasp. The black haired girl turned to him, an annoyed expression on her features.

"There is no light in the underground parking lot. We need flashlights. I know where to find them." She answered before continuing to walk down the hall, Link following closely.

"Um… no light at all?" He asked, his voice slightly shaking. Irene didn't turn to him but instead shook her head. The boy gulped and fought to keep in a shiver. "Fuck me, then…"

* * *

Preston and Raynold were descending down the escalator, chatting lively as they did so. Once on the couple reached the A1 basement, they strolled their way into the liquor store.

"Heaven!" Red exclaimed as he browsed through the assorted vodkas. Preston eyed the bourbons for a second before turning to Red.

"Yo, dude… What type of bottle should we take?" He asked him as he snatched a beer off the fridge. Red looked around and sweatdropped. He then turned to his friend.

"Uh… he didn't specify." Red looked over to the other brunette and began tapping his lips with his index finger as he looked at the different bottles.

"Why don't we take something of medium proportions?" He suggested, still browsing the stands. Preston nodded as he looked at the beer bottle in his head.

"Hey!" He called over to his friend, who snapped his head towards him."You up for some Corona?"

* * *

Paula and Aryll were trotting their way from stall to stand, checking to see which one had what they needed.

"I found something!" Aryll called out as she pointed at a stand. Paula looked down to see what she had seen. They weren't matches, but they would work. The older blonde opened the cabinet in which the Zippo lighters were and snatched a few, storing them into Aryll's backpack.

"Why are you storing so many?" The little girl asked as she saw the first row of lighters was cleared and packed into her bag.

"I'm pretty sure we are going to use them a lot in the future… A gut feeling, you know?" Paula answered, making Aryll giggle. The two blondes were now trotting through the empty mall in search for the rags. They stopped in front a F21. They shared a knowing glance before walking into the store.

"I think those shirt will work." Aryll pointed over to a couple of skimpy shirts to her right. Paula nodded as she walked over to them.

"This store is overrated, anyway." She said as she ripped the first shirt into two pieces.

* * *

Tetra and Ness walked towards the pharmacy on the first floor. They sent cold glares at each other all the way until they reached their destination. The raven haired boy made his way to the bottles of alcohol stacked up neatly on the first aisle. Tetra joined him and threw a couple into her bag, slipping another three into his.

"Woah, we are making a Molotov Cocktail, not lighting the entire building on fire." Ness jeered, starting to return the bottles to their place. Tetra grabbed his wrists before he even placed one back.

"You may overlook them now, but months from now, when you have a large cut you're suffering from on the abdomen that is close to bursting with pus due to infection, you are going to remember the day you put back the alcohol back." She snapped at him before releasing his wrists. The raven haired boy was taken aback by this and remained quiet. When she turned around, he hurriedly slipped the bottles back into his backpack.

"Jackass," She called out to him, earning herself a middle finger, "help me out with the medicines back here, will ya?" She said as she jumped over the counter. Ness reluctantly joined her.

* * *

After stocking up on flashlights and a convenient hammer for Link, Irene and the blonde boy were heading down into the underground parking lots. Link held his hammer close and tried to steady his ragged breathing. They had also snatched a few rubber bands in order to stopper the mouth of the bottle and a watering can to carry the gasoline

"Grab the bottles and fill them up halfway with gasoline." Link suddenly said, making Irene turn her head towards him. "You then soak the rags in alcohol and introduce them into the bottles." He added in a shaky voice. Irene was about to question him but he continued speaking. "Use the rubber to seal it and make sure it is well plugged." Irene stopped walking and crossed her arms. The blonde stopped right in front of the doors that lead into the parking lot. He turned around and sighed. "After that, all you need to do is light the rag with the matches. I'd suggest going to the rooftop and throwing them as far away from the entrance. This way the creepers are going to be distracted and you'll have a chance to esca-"

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked, her voice slightly annoyed and slightly worried. Link turned his head sideways, a grim expression on his face.

"In case I don't make it back." He whispered truthfully. Irene sighed. She walked over to him until she as at an arm's reach of the boy.

"You **are** making it back." She chided, placing her hands on his shoulders and shaking him gently. He chuckled at the act, before his laugh turned into an airy groan. His handsome features contorted into ones of doubt and insecurity.

"There is no way of knowing that definitely. Plus, I am not made for this world. You on the other hand seem more than built for sur-" He was cut off by her socking his forehead. He yelped softly raised a hand to rub at his forehead.

"Don't say that. Link, you will make it back. I'll make sure of it. You gave those people hope; you can't die on them now. You made Tetra obey you, for hells sake! She doesn't even listen to me and I've been her friend for ages. She saw something in you in which she could relay. I saw it too. We saw something that resembled a guiding light, a leader. You are more than fit for this world, okay? Now let's go, we have fifteen minutes left." Irene said, dropping her hands off his shoulders when she finished. The girl made her way to the barricade in front of the glass doors. Link immediately ran to her aid. Once the way was clear they looked at each other before pushing the double doors open. The darkness began licking at their bodies, engulfing them as they walked deeper into the parking lot. Once they were unable to make out the shadows, Irene turned on the flashlight. The place was mostly empty, almost no cars in the area, only the lonely ones in the edges of the lot. They tiptoed towards a small scar parked near the corner of the parking lot.

"You have the tube, right?" Link whispered over to Irene, who in exchange gave him what he asked for. He began feeling the car, looking for the latch of the gas tank. Once he found it he introduce the narrow edge of the hammer and began pulling on it, trying to get it open. It opened with a pop. The blonde introduced the one end of the tube inside the gas tank and began to suck on the other end.

"That's right, practice for when you have a boyfriend." Irene teased. Link looked up to meet her gaze and rolled his eyes at her. When the bitter taste of gasoline reached his mouth he placed the tube into watering can. He began retching once he had secured the tube.

"Oh god… Don't ever do that. Ever. Blah." He whispered, making Irene giggle. They remained in total silence as they waited for the gasoline to pour out. Once it did, they moved to the adjacent car and did the same process. After three cars the watering can was full, which meant they had more than enough.

"To be honest, I expected this place to be more scary. You know, by the way you said creepers flooded this place." Link said as they walked back to the inside. Irene shrugged as she gave her bat a squeeze.

"Well, it was a few days ago. You could hear the ugly moans and screams-" Irene stopped dead in her tracks when she locked eyes with a creeper. She raised her bat up and waited for it to charge.

"I-I-Irene…" Link stuttered as he began to step back. She didn't need him to tell her what had him acting like that. When her eyes left the one creeper in front of them she managed to see the other large group, all conveniently standing in front of the doors.

"Shit." She said. The creepers began to yell and charge running at them. The couple froze for a moment before Link pulled her along. Their speed easily surpassed the creepers', yet their numbers overshadowed this fact.

"What… Do?!" Irene asked as they ran deeper into the parking lot. The blonde turned his flashlight on and surveyed the place. He saw two cars parked not long from where they were.

"There. Hide under one of them." Link said as he pulled her along. The cars were a good ten feet from each, he noted. Once Irene was under the nearest one, he charged for the other one. He deftly slid under the car. He then turned the flashlight off. The noise of steps reached them, accompanied by guttural moans and groans. All Link could see of Irene was her outline thanks to the light from the inside. She was laying prostrate with her hands on her nape. Her body shook slightly, he noticed. A pang of worry cursed through his entire body as she saw her shaking become more violent. _She is crying_. Link began to feel around. All he had was the hammer which he held close to his chest. A million ideas flew through his mind, finding it hard to settle on a solution. His own eyes began to water at the thought of being found by one of the creepers. A single tear ran down his cheek at this. Then, another found its way out his eyes. He raised a hand to muffle a single cry aching to come out. He was going to die. _I'm going to die…_ That's all he thought. _I'm going to be discovered and I'm going to die…_ The sentence repeated itself in his head, almost as a mantra.

_I love you. It's okay. Take care of your sister, Link…_

His eyes opened at this. A faint voice spoke in the back of his mind, a painful memory pulling at his heartstrings.

_Take care of your sister, Link…_

Aryll. It was the first thing that crossed his head after that. He then remembered Irene, who was in the same situation because of him. The voice grew louder until his sobs stopped. His face slowly contorted into one of deep thinking, the solution taking form in his head. It then popped into his head. Link slowly rolled and stopped once he was on his stomach. He looked at the outlines of the creepers. Fifteen steps to the right was a pillar. Six creepers were on the path, yet they didn't seem to know of his presence at all. The boy took in a deep breath before crawling out from under the car. He then immediately glued himself to the car. They still didn't notice him. The outlines were still visible, which meant once he left the safety of the car's shadow, his outline would become visible too. He took in a deep breath as he planned a route through the six bodies. Two were facing him, the others were looking either left or right. He looked down towards the floor and saw a plastic bottle laying a few feet to his left. Link sidestepped until he reached it. He picked it up and aimed right. He threw it. The bottle landed far away from the pillar. The noise from its impact successfully lured the creepers away from where he was. The boy scurried quickly until he reached the pillar. He hid behind it and held the hammer in his left hand. The creepers to his right had their backs to him. _This is my chance_. He took in a sharp breath and left the pillar's shadow. He aimed and threw the hammer. It flew in the air until it plummeted into the car's windshield, shattering it and activating the car's alarm. He quickly hid behind the pillar once again and waited for the creepers to bite the bait. He poked his head out and saw all of them piling around the car. Link ducked slightly and began running towards the car Irene was at. Once he was on the safe side he kneeled beside it.

"L-Link?" She asked fearfully. The blonde boy nodded and extended a hand towards her. She gladly took it, wiggling herself out from under the car. Her own hand reached under the vehicle and snatched the watering can. The couple then sprinted towards the doors. Link pushed the double doors open, allowing Irene to fly past him. He then pushed the barricade back into place. The creepers were now running towards the doors. They took a step back as they saw the entirety of the lower of the inside be surrounded by creepers. Everywhere they looked, there they were. Irene whimpered slightly before running up the stairs, leaving Link alone. He spared the room one last glance before trudging his way back up.

* * *

_October 13_

_1400 Hours_

The group was now in the middle of the food court, supplies splayed out on the table. They awaited Link and Irene's return.

"Shouldn't they be back by now?" Preston asked as he eyed his watch. They all shared worried glances before returning their eyes to the items on the table.

"I knew she shouldn't have gone into the parking lot!" Tetra growled as she banged her fist against a chair. Paula stared at her, her eyes slightly red.

"Do you think they were…" Red proposed, earning a glare from Paula.

"No." She hissed out at him. The brunette rolled his eyes at her.

"Yeah? How are you so sure?"

"You people really have no faith." A voiced called out from behind. They turned to see Link and Irene walking over to where they were. Tetra and Paula ran to Irene, pulling her into a bear hug as soon as they reached her. Aryll charged towards her brother and wrapped her arms around his waist. She sniffled slightly before chuckling happily to herself.

"What took you so long?" Ness asked as he eyed both of them worriedly. The couple shared a knowing look before they smiled up at him.

"We… We got caught up in something." Irene answered as she placed the gasoline on the table. Link cleared his throat and walked over to the items.

"What were yo-"

"OKAY. Let's get this over with." The blonde bellowed as he smiled at the group.


	11. Paving the Road to Safety II

_October 13 _

_1400 Hours_

"OKAY. Let's get this over with." The blonde bellowed as he smiled at the group. He eyed the materials laid on the table carefully, nodding his head as he took the information in and his thoughts moved around.

"Link?" Aryll called out to him, waving her hand in front of his eyes. The blonde snapped back to reality when a loud bang echoed in the food court. He quickly turned around and walked towards the source of the noise. When he looked down into the first level he felt his heart shrink. The creepers managed to crack the windows slightly. The group had gathered around him, fear lacing each of them.

"Five minutes." Link said with a booming voice, who barely overshadowed the moans of the creepers outside. "That's what I estimate we have now." He added in a lower voice tone. He felt chills running down every inch of his body as he said, but he felt no regret.

"What about provisions?" Red asked. He shared a glance with Link before turning back to the entrance of the mall. Some creepers were being mashed up against the glass. The scene was grotesque to say the least.

"Girls, gather whatever you may need now. Don't go to lower or upper floors if you can avoid that." Ness said as he began walking back to the table where their bags were. He slipped his own on his shoulders and turned to the rest of the group. "Guys, do the same. Once you're done you come here. After that, we fucking leave." He didn't wait for their responses, instead, he ran at full speed towards the shops adjacent to the food court. The rest didn't wait long for doing the same as him. They all separated individually, each heading to their own destination.

"Warmer clothes." Preston said in an airy groan. "Warmer… clothes…" He panted, halting in front of a clothing shop. He stumbled into it his eyes flying from rack to rack. He quickly snatched a brown leather jacket from one and slipped it on. At that precise moment Paula flew in, stopping once their eyes connected.

"Brilliant minds think alike, huh?" She said as she walked towards the jacket section Preston was in. "Come on, help me pack more of them for the rest."She urged him as she pressed a bag onto his hands and began pulling clothing off the racks.

* * *

Link ran towards the first pharmacy he saw. He began reading the labels in each bottle and began stuffing them into his own bag.

"Cough Syrup and Penicillin. Grab a few of those." A voice called out from behind him. He turned to see Tetra grabbing her own assortment of medical supplies. Link paused for a moment before jumping over the counter. He scanned the different bottles. Once he found what she had asked for he through it inside the satchel he was carrying.

"Hey, since you're already there, care to snatch a few loratadine and amocicillin pills?" Tetra said as she slipped in a few gauze rolls and tape into her messenger bag. Link looked at her questioningly before returning to his search.

"My mother and father were both doctors. I am practically a nurse without a license." She answered his question. Link let out a groan of acknowledgement. They silently continued to stack up on medicines without directing a word towards each other.

* * *

Aryll and Raynold stayed in the food court in order to pack food for the journey. The girl kept throwing glances around, doubt obvious in her eyes. She shrieked when a hand came in contact with her shoulder. The brunette chuckled lightly as he took a step back.

"Stop your fretting, okay?" He said more seriously as he bent down to her height. The girl played with her hair for a second before she looked up to him.

"I'm scared. What if we die out there?" She whispered as she hugged herself. Raynold sighed, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Don't say that, I'm pretty sure your brother's plan will work just f-"

"I'm not talking about that. Once we are there, in the car and on the road, what will we do then?" She inquired, her eyes filled with hopelessness. "It's not like we have somebody to fend for us, not even decent weapons…" Her voice narrowed to mumbling as her sentence progressed. Red grabbed a lock of blonde hair and placed it behind her ear. She looked up to meet his eyes, which looked orange, almost red at the moment.

"Once we are out there… we are going to do everything in our power to survive in this world. We are not going to let those things beat us so easily, okay? We are the epitome of power and stubbornness, things that have caused the humans to achieve what they had until this point. Yes, we may not be accompanied by an older lump of meat to protect us or guide us, but, do we really need one? We are just fine now and that's how we are going to keep living for as long as God wants us to. And as for the weapons, we will find a few along the way. Don't worry kiddo, you have us, me." He earned a few giggles with his words, yet her fear was still there, latching onto her being. He let out a defeated sighed and mustered the most serious face he could as he placed both hands on her shoulders. "I promised your brother that if anything happened to him, I'd watch over you, but I wanted to let you know that that promise won't only be valid once he is gone. It will be valid for as long as I live. I will do anything in my power to keep you alive, don't you ever doubt that. I will put my life on the line for anyone that needs my help. That includes your brother and the rest. Remember this day, because I will." He added, his eyes determined as ever. Aryll stared in them for a moment before snaking her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his chest and sighed.

"…Thank you… I needed that…" She whispered before stepping away. Without another word, she continued her stacking of food. Red went over his words for a second before continuing the task.

* * *

Ness had stumbled upon Irene on his search for the hardware store. She had acceded to take him there since that was her destination too.

"We need weapons, yet they can't be big." Ness said as he stepped into the store. Irene laced her fingers with his and pulled him along. The boy pushed down the blush that had spread over his cheeks and followed after her.

"Pipes and hammers are good. Very good. The girls and I already have our bats but you need weaponry." She said as she pushed the items into his hands. Ness kneeled down and unzipped his bag, placing the items inside it. His eyes scanned the place before he looked up towards the girl.

"We need supplies to keep the car's maintenance going. Also, we need tools for fixing stuff. We will eventually need them." He spoke in a hurry. Irene helped him to his feet and smiled.

"So you have a car, huh? No wonder you wimps managed to survive." Irene joked. Ness pretended to be offended, only to laugh a second later. "Don't worry, I'll get you the stuff. Come on." She said, beckoning him with her index finger. The boy followed after her.

* * *

_October 13_

_1409 Hours_

The group was now reunited in the food court, all the new supplies scattered on the floor. They eyed each other for a second before Link spoke up.

"Okay." He started gathering the items needed for the Molotov cocktail as he pondered the next move. "We need to get to the rooftop if possible. Girls?"

"The emergency exit doors." Paula blurted out, already slipping on the backpack. The small bag in which the warm clothes were was crossed and hung on the left side of her body. She tried jumping and moving around to see if it would bother her. She nodded once she confirmed it didn't.

"Here guys, take this." Ness said as he pulled out the harmers and pipes out his own bag and handed one to each person of his group. They all nodded or whispered a form of gratefulness for this.

"Let's get going." Link said once he had packed everything needed.

Irene took the lead of the group as they headed for the emergency exit. She pushed the door open and a white staircase came into view. They immediately began climbing the stairs. They went up three flights before the last door came into view. The girl slammed into it, successfully pushing it open. The group ran out and waited for Link who was the last in the line. He muttered a curse before walking near the edge of the building. He leaned over to see what was beneath them. The horde of creepers seemed to have grown. There were at least forty now, all groaning and moaning as they tried to break in. The boy immediately kneeled on the ground and began pulling out the gasoline and rubber. Red and Preston kneeled beside him and began pulling out the ten bottles they had brought. Ness and Tetra placed a bottle of alcohol down near the bottles. Aryll and Paula started twirling the rags and pulling out the lighters.

Link deftly filled the bottles halfway without spilling a drop. He stopped for a second as he looked around the place.

"Soak those rags for me, please." He ordered as he continued his job filling the bottles. "Irene, place the wet rags inside the bottles I already filled. Ness, use the rubbers to secure the rags." He muttered as he filled the fifth bottle. The couple called began working instantly.

Once the last bottle was ready, Link stood and faced the group. "Paula, the matches." The blonde girl offered him a lighter sheepishly. The boy grabbed it and examined it thoroughly. His eyes then landed on the people in front of him. He walked towards Ness, his eyes unreadable. The brunette was surprised when the blonde grabbed his hand, never breaking eye contact with him. The loathing was still in them, but now there was something else there. It was something the closely resembled forced trust. A cold object touched the palm of the raven haired boy, making him break the eye contact and look down. The lighter was now in his hand. Link never stopped looking into his eyes as he spoke again.

"Paula, how many lighters did you bring?" The girl shuffled a little before unzipping her backpack and placing it on the floor. She leaned down and looked through its contents.

"One, three, five, eight… Plenty. I brought plenty." She answered him. At this the blonde turned around and walked over to her. He picked up the bag and grabbed a few lighters.

"Each of us will have a lighter. You will also have one bottle each. What we're going to do is the next: You are going to light the rag on, wait a second before throwing, and running down the emergency exit once you do. You will wait for the rest in the food court. Clear?" He said, chewing his lower lip once he finished. The group nodded reluctantly before walking over to the bottles.

"Mr. Genius," Ness called out to him. "there are ten bottles and eight of us." Link looked back towards the bottles for a second, a thought beginning to originate in his mind.

"Okay, Captain Condescendence. Both you and I will have two bottles instead of one." He barked at him. At this Ness opened his mouth to complain but was cut by Tetra who shoved two bottles into his hands. He glared at her but the girl ignored him.

"I'll go first." Irene said as she held the bottle in one hand and the lighter in the other. She place one foot on the ledge and looked down at the mass of creepers.

"Throw it to the left side. As far as you can." Ness said. Irene sucked in a breath as she popped the lighter opened, the flame igniting when it did. Steadily she brought the flame close to the rag. It was enveloped in flames the moment it came into contact with the fire. She gasped softly, taking a step back.

"Now. Now!" Link shouted. Irene tensed the muscles on her legs as she threw her arm forward, the bottle flying away as she did. They all got close to the edge and looked down. The bottle impacted quite a few feet away from the entrance, diverging cluster of creepers towards the flames spreading on the street. Irene sighed and stepped back. She grabbed her bat before dashing towards the exit door.


	12. Bolt Away

_October 13_

_1413 Hours_

With Irene and the first bottle gone the next person went on to throw the bottle. Preston scrammed as soon the bottle left his hand. It successfully landed farther away than Irene's, dragging an even larger cluster away from the horde. Red threw his bottle and it landed on a car that was a few feet away from where Preston's landed. The alarm instantly started blaring out, most of the horde gone from the entrance, yet it still was dangerously close to it. Paula managed to throw her surprisingly far from the rest, hitting another car. The horde was dragged farther down the street. There were still a handful lingering near the exit and they needed to be dragged away. Aryll walked up to the edge and looked around, trying to decide where to throw her own bottle.

"Hey, throw it down this street." Tetra said. The alley was completely barren of creepers and seemed like the perfect place to lure in a horde. The little girl ran to where Tetra was and lit the rag. She flung the bottle so that it would fall in the entrance to the street. And it did. The handful of creepers began their way towards the flames. Tetra threw her own bottle deeper down the street, where the creepers followed like obedient little pawns. Both blonde girls ran down the staircase and left Link and Ness alone.

"I'm going to go on ahead and… throw this thing." Link said as he neared the edge. He placed one of the bottles down and pulled his lighter out. Once the rag was lit he threw the bottle away it landed next to where the car Paula had hit was. The creepers kept gathering farther and farther away. Ness walked towards the edge and threw his own bottle, managing to clear the entrance. The couple stared at the two bottles left.

"Let's save these. We may need them."Link said as he picked his own. He turned around and began trotting towards the door, ignoring the raven haired boy.

"You know, I'm sorry." Ness spoke before Link managed to reach the door. The blonde stopped at this. He turned towards the raven haired boy with a questioning look. "About Lucas…" He could feel two daggers dig deep into his nape. "I had to think for the well being of everyone." He added. The crunching of footsteps could be heard behind him.

"I…" Link started while standing dangerously close to Ness. He raised his hand and grabbed the other boy's shirt. Ness turned his head to look back at him. His head hung low and his shoulders shook slightly. The taller boy tugged slightly at his shirt in order to free it from the blonde's grasp. It slipped right away with no resistance from Link. The blonde rubbed his eyes for a moment before looking up at Ness.

"I don't want to…" Link started, his voice weak and cracked. He contained an impending sob and out came out a soft groan instead. "I don't…" He tried to finish but his hiccups wouldn't let him.

"What don't you want-" Ness tried to ask him but got shoved back instead.

"I don't want to hear your shitty apologies and I don't want to hear his name in your mouth." He shouted after that. Link took a step back before looking up to meet Ness's cold gaze. "I bet that if it would've been one of your fucking boyfriends that are downstairs you would've done anything to get to them." He spat out venomously, turning on his heels after he finished. Ness remained immobile for a moment before he picked his bottle and trotted into the staircase.

* * *

_October 13 _

_1419 Hours_

The group was standing at the end of the food court and at the beginning of the escalator. They were staring at the barricade with uncertainty.

"Listen to me." Ness spoke after the silence had become deafening. All the heads of the group snapped towards him. He gave the barricade a glance and nodded to himself. There were three sofas, two aligned and pressed against the door and one perpendicular to them. "Okay…Red and Preston are going to pulling the couch on the right and Tetra and Link the one on the left. Irene and Paula are taking care of the one in the middle. Aryll… I'm taking care of her." The group nodded at this and they lined up in front of the escalator. "One…" Ness took the lead of half of the group and Link stood next to him on the other escalator. His gaze never met Ness's. "Two…" The air around them grew tense as they all held in their breath. "Three!" They all started running down the steps at full speed. Ness stood back with Aryll's hand in his as the rest of the group dispersed and pulled on the couches. Once the couches were out the way the raven haired boy secured his grip on the hammer and the little girl before running towards the door. He violently kicked them open and began running down the street. A bunch of creepers turned to the fleeing group. Ness zigzagged through the few creepers left on the street, avoiding their grasp at all costs. Aryll had a hard time keeping up with his pace.

"Aryll!" He shouted as he stopped when a creeper managed to grab her by the hair. He instinctively dove the hammer in the creeper's skull. It fell down next to Aryll who was currently crying rivers. He pulled her along with him again. The rest of the group managed to put a few down on their way. Irene deftly avoided the ones that threw themselves at her. Tetra had no problems hitting their heads with her bat. Paula sneaked around them almost imperceptibly. A flaxen shadow ran to his side.

"Which one is your car?!" Tetra shouted at him. Ness looked at her for a second. He eyed their surroundings looking for the vehicle. It was a few blocks down the road.

"The black Ford SUV!" Ness shouted back at her. The closer they got to the car, the more creepers chased them. The raven haired began digging his pockets for the keys. Once he got a hold of them he sped up his pace. "Aryll! I'm going to let you go, but you've gotta keep running!" He shouted at the little girl. Without warning his grasp on her disappeared. His pace immediately increased. Ness then felt a jab on his right side and the next moment he was rolling on the floor. When his eyes opened, he saw a creeper crawling towards him. He felt a warm liquid pooling around him. His gaze shifted down to his side. _Fucking great…_ The boy turned his gaze towards the creepers. Everything had become blurry. All he could make up were silhouettes. They slowly trotted towards him, all with an inconsistent limp of their legs. Suddenly, five silhouettes, that moved faster than the others, entered his vision. They swung objects at the slower moving silhouettes, which caused them to collapse to the floor. His head turned to the creeper now at arm length of him. His body ordered him to scream, kick, punch, or at least gasp, but all he could do is open his mouth in an attempt of a scream. The creepers head was then crushed by a boot, the bloody grey matter splattering everywhere. A pair of arms grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up to his feet. The blurriness in his eyes cleared and was transformed into a searing pain that traveled down to his left side, where a share of glass had lodged itself. He then began looking the floor for the keys he'd dropped.

"Hey! I have them! Now let's get going!" Tetra yelled at him as she shook the keys. Ness sucked in a breath as they began moving forwards, the girl helping him walk. Link ran to Tetra and snatched the keys from her hand. He then turned around to face them.

"Here, give me your bags. I'll take it to the car." The blonde said as he pulled the backpacks off them and dashed ahead of them. The group quickly followed him, Preston being the one to stay back and help Tetra.

"You go on ahead! Have everything packed and ready for when we get ready!" He said to her as he positioned himself in front of Ness. He then pulled the raven haired onto his back, his stomach lying on his shoulder. Ness let out a wail at this, followed by a series of strained moans. Preston ran as fast as he could with the boy on top of him. After a couple of minutes of the most strenuous trotting he had ever undergone the brunette reached the car.

"Take me to the driver's seat…" Ness mumbled. Preston looked back and saw the horde was after them. He hesitated a moment before putting his friend back on his feet and helping him up into the car. He then ran to the open doors and jumped in just in time to avoid a creeper. Paula shut the doors in a hurry. The raven haired boy started the engine with weak hand. He then stepped gently on the gas, his face growing wan by the second. Soon, the car was moving and the creepers were left behind.

"Ness, stop the car somewhere in here. You can't drive in your state." Tetra said from the passenger's seat.

"I'm… getting us… out the city… first…" He panted. The blonde girl tried to argue once again, but she earned herself a glare instead. Her thin lips met and she remained silent.

* * *

_October 13_

_1430 Hours_

The car was parked in the middle of nowhere and Ness was laid on top of a plastic bag on the pavement. Tetra was treating his wound while Red and Preston kept guard. The boy let out a growl from deep within throat when the alcohol met his gash.

"I told we would need a lot of it." Tetra said as she giggled. Ness weakly scoffed. The girl rolled her eyes as she continued cleaning the wound with the gauze. She then grabbed a surgical suture from her own personal backpack.

"They have those at pharmacies?" Preston asked bemused. Tetra shook her head as she took out a needle holder out too.

"Before… Before all this happened I used to steal my mother's supplies and practice on my stuffed animals. Still did until recently." She said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I would've liked to become a doctor myself." She added as a dreamy smile played on her lips. It lasted a fleeting second before she leaned down towards Ness. "Breath, it is going to hurt like a bitch." And with that all the sweetness in her flew into oblivion. The next ten minutes were filled with curses, tears, banters, and a few laughs from everybody.

"Thank you." Ness said as he looked up into her sky blue eyes. She rolled her eyes, dusting herself off as she stood back up. The boy remained on the floor, refusing to make any brusque movements at the moment.

"Chop, chop. We need to get you into a new shirt and into a clean place." Tetra said as she extended a hand towards the boy.

"I'm alright… It's not even that cold." He said nonchalantly as he looked around the place. He could tell the temperature around them neared the forties but he remained obstinate in the decision of laying down. The blonde girl laughed at this as she crossed her arms.

"Ness, you're currently shirtless. I can see your nipples and I tell you, you can poke an eye out with them right now." She said with her voice filled with amusement. Red and Preston shared a laugh of their own at this.

"Bite me." The boy on the ground said. Tetra bent down and got a hold of his hands.

"Come on, Nessie, on your feet." She tauntingly cooed as she tugged at his limp arms.

"No, Tetra…" He tried to counter, but her tugging turned into pulling.

"One!" She started counting.

"Ow! Tetra!"

"Two!"

"Shi- Stop you scarlet woman!"

"Three!" She said as she pulled him up to his feet. His weight pushed her up against the car.

"Fuck youuuu."


	13. Haven

_October 13_

_1645 Hours_

After riding around on what seemed an endless loop, the group came upon a town, a few miles west from the city, a small town sporting name Rayvale. It looked like the common isolated place in which neighbors knew each other's business and the population never exceeded the two thousands. The only difference was the big, old, and lavish Victorian church sat in the middle of the place. The group parked in front of it and one by one exited the car, scanning the area intently before proceeding to enter it. Unlike the worn down exterior, the inside of the church appeared to have been watched over carefully. The pews were perfectly aligned, with a thin coat of dust already starting to form on them. Stained glasses portraying images of different Christian figures adorned the white walls of the place. The one that caught the attention of everybody was the one embedded in front of the pews, where the podium stood faultlessly aligned with the red carpet leading to it. The glass held a crude image of The Crucifixion of Jesus. The aura it emanated was one of mock, as to what was happening at the moment. Link stealthy walked up to the first pew and sat down, eyeing furtively the group still at the entrance. He then looked up to the stained glass and gulped, feeling a sudden knot forming in his throat.

"Hey… Jesus, God, you…" He dumbly started. His cheeks suddenly flushed from his inability to communicate to this holy entity without stuttering. Taking in a deep breath again he spoke again. "I haven't spoken to you in well… ever. Too late to ask for salvation, heh? Um… okay. I just wanted… wanted to ask you a few things." He twiddled his thumbs a few seconds before clearing his throat. "I wanted to ask… Why? Why did you take everythi-"

"Link." A calm, apathetic voice rose among his senseless ranting. His eyes looked up to see Tetra with her arms crossed while looking down at him with disinterest. "I don't know what you are doing, nor do I care, but we kinda need you back there. We are planning on getting more weapons and stocking on some provisions. Everybody needs to be there in order to settle it all." She finished, picking her nails indifferently as she turned to walk away. Link looked at her for a few moments before standing up and following suit. The group had sat down in a corner and was currently chitchatting about random stuff. Once he came into their view, the speaking halted. Ness scooted away to make room for Link. The blonde sat down, his mind absent though.

"Okay dokay… Now we can start." Red said rather enthusiastically.

"What we had in mind right now is giving this town a little survey and check out what's it got to offer. The thing is that these makeshift weapons aren't going to cut it if we get tangled in… a horde." Irene announced. Seeing the confused faces of the strangers she found herself with now, she sighed. "We've seen these things move in large groups. They are not common, but they aren't rare either. They sort of… migrate when they feel the need to. We don't know why, they just do."

"I saw how they ate a family right in front of the mall. They had the same intention as you guys, but their timing wasn't as precise as yours and well…" Paula hoarsely whispered, the memory of the event making her blanch slightly. Tetra wrapped an arm around her arm and let her lay her head on her shoulder.

"So… yeah. We need to ideate a plan in order to do this without bringing too much attention to ourselves." Irene continued.

"I don't get it. I didn't see any hordes close. Hell, I didn't see any creeper either since we entered town. Why the sudden need for stealth?"Preston berated, his brow furrowed.

"The thing is that that won't last for long. Food sources for them in the north may be running out already due to migration of survivors and cold environment. It is only natural to assume they are coming our way." Irene answered to him.

"Woah, stop right there." Ness interjected. "We are talking about brainless and cannibalistic humans not freaking birds, alright? I highly doubt they even know where they are anyways. I think we should just go out there and beat any strays with our weapons."

"Ness, you almost got killed two hours ago by **_one_** of them!" Tetra spat at him. The black haired boy scoffed at this and crossed his arms, wincing at the throbbing on his abdomen.

"Guys, arguing will get us nowhere. We need ideas, okay?" Irene spoke again, seemingly being the only one that was levelheaded at the time.

"Let's do a list of what we need first. We aren't just gonna go window shopping around town and grab the first items we see." Link muttered. The group looked at him for a second before they all scrambled to get paper and a pen.

* * *

_October 13_

_1710 Hours_

After seeing what they had in the car and their back packs, the group had come down with a short list.

"Okay, we need water, food, clothing, and sleeping bags? That's it?" Paula read out loud. They all shared a confused glance before nodding. The blonde sighed, doubt present in her face.

"Let's prioritize the things in the list. I say we go for food and water first." Tetra asserted, only to have Ness butt in again.

"I say weapons."He said sternly. Tetra rolled her eyes at this and let out a small growl.

"Food is way more important right now. We didn't exactly collect a lot at the mall, you know? And plus-"

"What use is it to a corpse?" He countered in a low and dangerous voice. His point was set out across candidly, making Tetra shut up. She lowered her head in begrudging agreement.

"Fine. We are getting the weapons first." She muttered in defeat. Eyes shifted around the place before they all looked back at each other.

"Are we all going out or is it gonna be two again?" Red asked the question in everybody's mind. The girls exchanged a worried glance before sighing in unison.

"We are taking one for the team and putting our asses in danger, okay? Once you have the weapons, you are going on your own for the clothing." Tetra announced dejectedly. The girls hauled their bats over their shoulders and began making their way out when a blonde figure stood in front of them, blocking the door with his outstretched arms. They took a step back and grimaced at him.

"What?" Paula inquired, her eyes looking intently out the stained glass, trying to detect any movement in the distorted picture it provided. Link let out a shaky sigh as he meekly smiled at them.

"I say… that we go all together." He proposed. As the air around the four of them grew tense, he knew he had to explain himself. With a defeated frown he stepped closer to them. "As you may already know, us guys are sitting ducks. If this place gets surrounded we'd be screwed. I say we go all together in order to maintain everybody safe and sound."

Irene rolled her eyes at this. "Look, if you're scared you are getting dismembered while we are gone, one of us can stay on lookout." She suggested, trying to placate the blonde's worries. His eyes shot down as he bit his lower lip, an anguished expression settling on his face.

"Yeah, that'd be great but there's another thing…" He started carefully. He then sighed and looked away. "I want to handpick my own weapon, alright?" The girls's eyes widened at this.

"Oh, so now you're getting picky-" Tetra started.

"Shut up." Paula spat out at her. She then took a step forward and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. He looked up to meet her icy blue eyes and smiled shyly. Until then did he noticed the obvious height gap between him and… well, everybody. _Damn genes…_ "It's okay. We'll escort you guys if you want."

The other guys stood up and approached the scene, doubtfully crowding behind the girls. When they turned around to face them, the boys gulped.

"I'm with Link, I want to handpick my weapon too. Plus, I-I can help you upgrade if you want." Preston said. Paula smiled at them while the other too scowled. They would've liked to say a word or two, but having their sweet friend's death glare subtly made them think twice before speaking.

Aryll walked into the group and cleared her throat. "What about me? Can I get a weapon too?" Tetra looked back at link before bending down to the little girl's height.

"Sweetie, I'm not so sure. It is not up to me." She said softly to her as she stroked her hair back. Her big black eyes looked over to her big brother, anxiously hopping up and down on her heels.

"Can I have one? Please? Pretty please?" She bombarded with those and more questions. Link walked over to his sister and placed a hand on her head, placing a gentle peck on her forehead.

"No." He then went back to the entrance, not wanting to see what her expression was. Irene looked back at the group and sighed.

"Come on, let's get going. I want to be here before sundown. I think I saw a gun shop a few blocks from here." She gently pushed open the double doors and gingerly stepped outside. Her eyes surveyed the streets ahead carefully. After making sure nothing was close, he beckoned the rest with her hands. They exited swiftly, as a kid who was told they could go play in the park. Preston, who was the last one, closed the door silently before dashing after his friends.

"Stay close to me." Paula whispered over to Aryll, who simply nodded. They all started advancing towards the car when a belligerent cry called their attention. Their eyes turned to see a single girl running away from two creepers. She couldn't have been older than fifteen, they noted. Irene was about to spring into action when five other creepers appeared out from behind a house and rampaged over to her. She quickly was enclosed by her chasers, letting out a blood curling scream before they all toppled over her.

"Let's go the other way…" Ness said with a blank expression while he herded the group away. They obediently followed him, looking back to see the creepers kneeling around a red lump, digging their hands and face into it.


	14. Run

_October 13_

_1520 Hours_

Ness stated going on foot was a good idea, since they saved gas and could hide easily. So off they went, walking on the sidewalk of the desolated town, skimming their surroundings while hoping nothing jumped in and attacked them. Soon enough they found the shop Irene had mentioned five blocks from the church. Paula was the first one to step in, using her bat to create noise. After nothing came lunging at them, they all entered the shop freely. Preston whistled as the guns came into view.

"Damn, look at the artillery. Who would've thought you had this kind of place in this little town." He said as he looked at the different rifles hung on the wall. He wasted no time and jumping over the counter and dismounting a semi automatic rifle. He looked through the scope and pointed at different things in the shop, never at his friends though. Paula wedged through a space in between the counter, successfully getting stuck. Her cheeks flushed at this while she pushed to no avail. Preston giggled at this before setting the rifle aside and walking towards her.

"Kind stuck in a little problem here, aren't we?" He tantalized. The blonde tried turning around to smack him, only managing to look like she was waving her arms at nothing. Her enraged face only made it more comical. After having a bit of diversion out of this, Preston relinquished the jerk façade and walked up to her. He placed his hands on her waist and hoisted her up effortlessly. He then sidestepped until her legs were free from the counter. The blonde only looked embarrassed as he placed her back down.

"You are strong." She dumbly commented, her cheeks pink. He laughed at this and proceeded to tense his bulging biceps as cockily as he could.

"You know, the ones hung on the walls aren't the only guns in here…" He haughtily said as he continued to show off his arms. Paula couldn't help but giggle at his silliness. She gently socked his left arm and turned around to look at the gun he had put down.

"AK-105 huh?" She said as she slid a finger over it. The brunette looked at her astonished, a small knot forming in his throat.

" Y-You know about guns?" He asked timidly. The blonde girl giggled and looked up to him.

"Of course, my grandfather was a sergeant major in the Marine Corps and my dad was a corporal. How about we check those assault rifles over there?" She said rather innocently. Suddenly a devious smile crossed her face for a second, before she leaned over to Preston. "I never liked _small _guns anyway…" She whispered into his ear, rendering him speechless. He only followed after her.

In the meantime, Tetra and Ness were checking out the handguns, lifting them up and checking their weight.

"I have got no idea how to choose a gun." He admitted as he weighed two on either hand. Tetra snorted at this and grabbed one herself. She looked around the shop for Paula, spotting her and Preston each with a rifle in their hands.

She smiled at this. "She was always the gun enthusiast…" Ness looked back to see what she was referring to only to see his own gun enthusiastic playing around joyfully.

"Yeah, him too. Know what, let's chill and let them pick first. After all, they are the ones that know about these things." He said coolly as he went back to looking around the shop. Tetra simply stayed behind, poking the different bullets displayed.

Link walked aimlessly around the shop, not actually paying attention to the pistols. He would casually pick one up and put it back down after a few seconds. Irene approached him apprehensively, her weapon of choice in her hand already.

"What's wrong?" She asked him. Link looked back to meet her gaze, startled by her voice. He turned around completely and leaned against the door frame.

"I'm not really a gun person…" He answered openly. He then pushed himself of the frame and proceeded to look at the knives neatly placed on a small corner of the counter. Without a second though he grabbed the first gun he saw and smashed the glass with it, scaring the hell out of everybody. His hand maneuvered through the broken glass and pulled out a black blade, which he studied up close.

"Link what the hell?! Don't ever do that again! I almost died, I swear…" Paula cried from behind the counter. He sheepishly smiled at her and went back to checking the knives.

"Okay everybody, pick three weapons and bring them forth for examination and ammo." Preston ordered as he placed his own artillery aside. It consisted of an assault rifle and two 9 mm caliber Glocks. Paula had a similar assortment with the only difference being that her rifle was a sniper rifle.

"Nice Barrett…" Preston whispered over to her as he took in what Ness had chosen. She smiled as she did the same with Irene.

"Thanks… Nice Berretta." She said coyly. Preston smiled lightly before turning around to look for the ammo of Ness's gun. Paula decided to do same and followed him.

Red brought forth three different types of handguns with different calibers and amount of rounds. It looked as if he had randomly picked the first three guns he had seen, not that it mattered though. When Preston returned with the ammo he frowned at the guns his friend had.

"Go look for another three." He commanded sternly before shoving five boxes of ammo for each gun Ness possessed. Raynold looked baffled for a moment before he glared at him.

"I like these ones." He countered like a child. Preston lifted one of the guns he had chosen and pointed at the muzzle.

"This one is a 22 mm gun. It is perfect for close range shooting and personal defense yet not for long range and offensive. It also lacks power… And trust me, the last thing you want is having to deal with a mass of those things with at a close distance and a weak ass gun." Preston retorted. He then placed it down and picked another one of Raynold's gun up. "This one is a small pistol… Unless you have had shooting practice, your precision will suck and so will your defense. You are more likely to shoot yourself than hit a creeper with this." He proceeded to place the gun down on the counter and glare at his friend. "Do me and yourself a favor and **_go pick a better gun!_**" He ended shouting. Red immediately scrambled away with his selection and threw them aside. The rest of the group looked in fear at Preston after the outburst.

"Dude… Are you okay?" Ness asked worriedly. His brunette friend looked down for a moment before he looked up.

"I-I already lost my family… All in one night… Just because I wasn't there to protect and help them. They had no means to do so alone…" He mumbled, his voice strained. "If any of you happen to be in danger when you are away from the group and me… at least I'll have the certainty you have something to protect yourself with. And even if you died… I'll know you didn't go down as a defenseless animal." His last words came out as soft moans of agony, all his might trying to suppress the impending tears forming in his eyes. "Paula… you wouldn't mind…" She knew where he was going.

"I'll take care of this. Go calm down." She whispered softly. At this, Preston wrapped himself in his arms and walked towards a corner where he sat down and hid his face in his shirt.

Paula finished checking the rest of the group out, Link being the only one missing. He had brought forth a semiautomatic rifle, a simple hand gun, and a knife. She stared questioningly at his choice, but made no move to comment about it. She walked away only to return with the guns' respective ammo. After this they regrouped on the curb outside the shop.

* * *

_October 13_

_1600 Hours_

"So are we going back or…?" Red asked as he toyed with his necklace. He took a moment to look around, spotting a small cluster of creepers roaming near the entrance of the church. A chill ran down his spine, soon having his whole body break into a cold sweat. Flashbacks started jabbing his mind, each one producing a pang of pain in his chest. As his breath slowly started to pick up he turned his head and looked into Ness's eyes, secretly pleading for something. His friend nodded and walked the opposite way.

"Let's wait for those things the leave…" He said softly, his head swiveling back to check no creepers were behind. Red started walking in the opposite direction, his head hanging low with his hand resting tentatively on his gun. A cool breeze swept his bangs up and revealed a pair of glassy eyes and tear brimmed eyes. Tetra scowled, baffled by his sudden change of emotions. Her eyes locked with Ness's, hoping to get an explanation. He simply sighed and looked away, starting to walk alongside Red. Silently, they all followed them, guns in their hands and their eyes vigilant.

After a few minutes of walking little droplets began falling down from the sky. Their gazes all shifted upwards, where their faces were gently kissed by the pouring water. The soft grazing of the droplets turned into heavy pelting from big drops. As they sought for shelter, Preston, Raynold, and Link remained under the rain. Their faces blank and devoid of emotion, yet their eyes held an immense grief. The rest of the group simply continued to stare, a strange force preventing them from pulling them under a roof. And then it happened… Red grimaced. He dropped to his knees and entangled his fingers in his hair, his sobbing being drowned out by the rain. Link and Preston broke from their trances at this. They walked towards the brunette crying on the floor and pulled him to his feet and guided him to the curb where the rest awaited. The trio was pulled into the shop where the girls had taken shelter. It was a barber shop. As soon as the dripping boys entered the shop they were enveloped in towels. Ness guided them towards a couch in the corner.

"You okay dude?" He asked his brunette friend. Red only sniffled in response, too worn out to talk. Ness decided to leave him to rest.

The group sat on the couches, carefully eyeing the streets. The rain seemed to grow heavier as time passed, drowning the group's thoughts. They remained silent for a moment before a distant roar called their attention. Startled, they all looked out the window, except for Raynold, who was still recoiling from his previous meltdown.

Ness decided to walk out the shop to check the streets. Up ahead in the distance, he saw something that called his attention. It moved fast through the streets, roaring as it sped up. _Is.. Is that a car? _Ness stood on the side walk, befuddled to say the least. _More survivors… More survivors! _Without thinking, the raven haired boy ran out from under the shop's safety and unto the streets. He started waving his arms frantically, trying to catch the attention of whomever was driving. It was almost as if he had entered a trance. The car however never seemed to slow down its pace.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Link called out to him. He feel unto deaf ears, as Ness remained planted in the middle of the street. The blonde walked out and noticed the speeding car was headed straight towards Ness. He then looked at the boy, waiting for him to react somehow. The tension within the members of the group grew, this time including Red.

"Why isn't he moving?" Tetra asked. Link looked back at her and shrugged. A sudden urgency sprouted in their gut as they exchanged glances. They both turned back to the scene. The car was now less than five hundred meters away from Ness. The girl then let out a loud gasp. "Link, Link they think he is infected. Link, go! Do something!" She screamed.

At this the blonde jumped from the curb and began running. As he did so, he looked at the car. It had suddenly gained an incredible space between Ness and it. _Shit… _With all his strength he leaped forward, his arms extended towards the raven head, whom until now had come to the realization the car wasn't stopping. He came in contact with him, successfully latching onto his body. And for the second time in less than a week, Link felt the warmth of a pair of headlights graze his skin.


End file.
